Tanya
by Connie Tinkham
Summary: Its about a girl named Tanya who is a detective that helps werewolves and other types of creatures plz review after you read thanks


I stared down at my Mike's Hard Lemonade, watching sweat roll down its sleek side, making a ring around the base on an old table I had gotten years ago. The table no longer had any corners and most of the paint was chipped away. The TV was droning on about something on the news. I didn't know what the reporter was saying – I had it muted. Now, it was only on to provide light throughout my small house, since I was too lazy to turn on the kitchen light, and the living room light bulb was dead. I took another swig of the lemonade.

I heard a knock on the door. I never got visitors, or at least none that knocked. Most of my visitors broke down the door, coming in trying to kill me. It doesn't help that it's my job to take down monsters. The monsters I have to kill usually have friends or masters who aren't happy that I have killed their friend or servant. I am not usually a well-liked person. I work as a Hound at Hellhole's Hounds, which is basically organized chaos, or a unified group of mercenaries. I know it is a really stupid name but there are worse things than working in a place with a stupid name. We were allowed to use whatever we needed to do our jobs, legal or not - they did claim no responsibility for what we used. People used everything from swords to guns to bows to magic (forbidden or not).

However, the name really fits the bill - it is a hellhole, but I liked and needed my job so I was forced to see that place. We killed things when a call came in. On the first of the month, we all sign up for a 'specialty' to fight - things we had strengths or special knowledge about. If a call comes in and it happens to be our 'specialty,' that person gets called to take care of it. If you don't sign up for anything that month, you are only assigned calls by your address. We can call in for help if we need it and if our 'specialty call' came in and it was in someone else's territory, you had to call that person and tell them you are coming into their area and they have to let you. They have every right to tell you no or ask to tag along. If that person tells you no, they have to take care of it. If they tag along, the money is split.

I got up, went to the door, and checked my face in the tiny mirror on the wall, preparing to greet the intruder. I examined my messy, but usually wavy, natural white and black hair, my stormy eyes that now looked exhausted, my cracked, usually plump lips, my tired and slightly baggy tan skin. I looked kinda like I had just got in a fight with an extremely drunk werewolf, which wasn't that far off. I hate fighting lone werewolves; they are extremely rare and hard to fight. They are easy for me to fight, or as easy as a fight against an equal can be.

I unchained, unbolted, and unlocked the door. It wouldn't open. There was something I was forgetting. I stared blankly, stupidly. I kept staring. What was I forgetting? I had unchained, unbolted, unlocked, and tried to pull the door open. I knew it was something obvious. I tried again, without doing anything to it. Damn, I was tired. It opened after I twisted the cheap, needing-to-be-fixed doorknob to open the door. That was what I was forgetting; I forgot to twist the doorknob.

The door revealed a lithe and muscular, but lanky, fifteen-year-old kid. Wade.

"What?" I said, feigning anger.

"Calm down. I was just coming to say hi. You seem tired," Wade noticed.

"I would say you're a jackass but that is just the hormones in your little teen body," I told him, teasingly. I opened my door farther and stepped aside, waving him in.

"Why would you call me a jackass?" he said, walking into the house slowly, hesitantly.

"Among some women, calling them tired is like saying something along the lines of 'you look like shit.' The person is just trying to be polite about it. When using it with me, I sometimes take it that way and I sometimes take it as someone calling me rusty at what I do. Sometimes, I take it as both or I'll just shrug it off and assume that they really mean that I look burned out. For your sake, you had better mean that I look burned out."

"Don't worry, that's what I mean."

"What do you want, Wade?" I asked.

"What do you mean 'what do I want'? Do I have to want something to come see one of my favoritest people in the whole wide world?" he said innocently.

I just stared at him. More than that, I bored my eyes into his and casting a 'don't bullshit me' look. Anymore, Wade always wanted something when he came over here - money, favors, a place to hide - sometimes from authorities when he was speeding or 'accidentally' assaulted an officer. It usually got more and more interesting. Unfortunately, I don't have enough money to pass around in handfuls though, as I usually do with him.

"Okay fine. I get where you're coming from but I don't want anything this time. I came over to show you some cool, and accepted, tricks I learned in school today."

Wade is my adopted son; I could never have had him since he's fifteen and I'm twenty-five. Not to mention, he's a werewolf and I'm a weretiger. I found him on a street corner, stuck between forms and bleeding all over the place when he was two years old. I feared for his survival for a number of reasons, but he did more than survive. In fact, he is an excellent mage, with powers beyond unique and superb. Half the stuff he does is forbidden by his professors, except one. That one professor shows him spells that no one his age should ever see, according to that school. The spells Wade sees are more meant for people who have been working with magic for years and years. The ones he is allowed to do are like little games to him.

"Mama Kat, you okay there?"

He waved a hand in front of my face. "Kittie-Kittie? Mama Kee-kee?"

"I told you not to call me that, Wade. Last I checked you are fifteen, not two.

He looked hurt, but I knew it was an act - I had fallen for it countless times in the past but eventually figured out that it was all a huge fake. "Sorry. You were spacing out a little there and I was just about to get to the best part of the lesson today. Wouldn't want you to have missed it."

"Is it a forbidden spell?"

"No, like I said, it was one we all learned in class today, which means that it is like a board book in with all the novels. Anyway, watch."

He started working his hands in a way that no human could, and chanted a spell of some sort. I knew he was saying it loud enough for my benefit; he could have been absolutely silent because this kid was not only an extremely gifted mage, but also a pretty damn powerful werewolf. He couldn't wield a blade or any weapon besides fist, tooth, and claw for crap but those were enough - that kid could do more damage in three seconds than a normal human could in a full minute. I could do the same, probably better, but no one around here knew that.

His hands weaved a beautiful spell, creating little gold strands and sparks through the air. The gold strands began forming into a shape that was more than little strings. It became the skeleton of something I couldn't yet identify. It bulked up and got more and more detailed. It got a head, a tail, and four legs. I saw each individual strand of hair and the tiny features in the diamond eyes. I recognized what it was. Wade was making what seemed like a large dog or a wolf, but it was actually him in his wolfform.

I saw the unique features on this wolf - the small line that looked kind of like a scar across his left eye, the stripe down the middle of his belly, and the utter and unique blackness of his fur. It was strange to see the colors since it was made of the gold strands, which were still very clear, just underneath all the fur and eyes and cute floppy ears. This wolf was a killing machine and usually looked deathly terrifying to most people but right now, it looked like a very cute, very large, dog. Of course, this dog could kill me in three seconds if it wanted but Wade would never lay a paw on me.

"Holy crap, Wade. What was the lesson?"

"We were supposed to make familiars and it had to be an animal or creature but other than that requirement, it could be anything we wanted. I think I would have made it a wolf anyway, even without the animal requirement. You like it?"

"It's beautiful."

"You think?"

"I know. I have seen some damn good spells in my line of work and this is one of the best of its type. Granted, I haven't seen many shaping spells but this is excellent."

"Oh, this isn't a shaping spell - it's is a summoning spell. An animal summoning."

"Not in my book, it's not. Unless you're summoning a physical animal that is not created by magic, it's a shaping spell. You have shaped this wolf with magic, hence a shaping spell. No matter how much physical mass this thing has, it is a shaping spell and you can do nothing to convince me otherwise."

"Fine, but I kinda lied when I said that I didn't need anything," I glared at him and watched him squirm. "It was like a half lie - a friend of mine got involved in a situation with some friends of hers and I, being a snoop, got involved and I can't really get out."

I glared at him harder. "Let me get this straight. You want me to help you on a friend's behalf because you got involved in something that you shouldn't have and can't get out of? What will happen if you back out? And what kind of help will I be offering?"

"School will be hell, and not the constant taunting and pranks kind of hell. They will literally drive me insane with magic, make me paranoid and give me severe and extremely painful hypochondria. And give me awful hallucinations."

"Sounds like some great friends. Remind me, why don't you have normal, non-psychotic friends?"

"They were normal. Scarily normal. Then they just...changed. It was weird. Can you help?"

"You haven't said what kind of help I am supposed to be giving."

"Physical, fighting, monster and magic knowledge type of help. Please?"

"Fine, but only because I love you. Just remember, I can't fight all your battles. I know I don't but you have to learn not to get involved in this kind of stuff. What are we dealing with here?" I turned on my business voice on.

"My friends, six fifteen-year-olds, who have suddenly been acting weird and six young girls, whom I have never met, who have developed powers to control the weather. The girls might not know how to control their powers and have only recently come into them. They found out about them last week. They may have had them for years unknowingly. From what I understand, one controls clouds, one controls lighting, one controls thunder, one controls snow, one controls wind, and one controls rain. My friends have started calling them the 'storm girls.' None of the girls live at home anymore. The cloud girl's name is Claudia, the lightning girl is Lydia, the thunder girl is Thylira, the snow girl is Sofie, and the wind girl is Whitney, the rain girl is Renee. That's all I know, and I think that's all my friends know but with their newfound personalities, I can't be sure. Any ideas or suggestions or something?"

"Well, about your friends, they're probably possessed. That means that I might have to come to the school or you will have to bring them here. I don't know which one I like better. I don't know of any sort of weather-controlling species, but there are certainly powers in manipulating elements. This might be a branch off that. There is fire, water, water, water and air...and thunder. I don't know where thunder would fit in; it's not fire or earth or air or water. I guess it could be air and fire since it is the result of air heating and vibrating caused by lightning blowing up. They could be some form of witches. I can't know more without further information, which, lucky for us, I can get from my witchy friend. What time is it, wolf boy?"

He gave me a sour look but looked at the microwave anyway. "Uh, 11:43. Why are you up so late?"

"I'm up late? It isn't even midnight. You're only fifteen. You shouldn't be up so late, wandering around at night in these parts. You know how dangerous the way down here is. This is a bad neighborhood and it's only worse at night. This is the worst of the worst. You always came down here during the day. Remember the reason you came down _here_ when you needed a place to hide from cops or monsters or something? It was because no one comes down here. Cops don't come because they get shot when they come down. People around here don't like cops. I don't like them much either but I tolerate them. I make sure it shows that I don't want them around just by my posture and tone of voice. I send out vibes that kinda tell others to go away. Cops are too damn controlling. That's why I am a mercenary, a Hound at Hellhole's Hounds - we can fight with what we want and as long as the job gets done, they look the other way unless we affect the company's legalities and safety. There is only one cop I will deal with and we separated years ago. Her name was Cassandra Rothwell. She is a cop and damn good at her job. She used to be a Hound, but she thought her job was too chaotic and unruly. We are chaotic and unruly, but I like it that way. She went and talked about it and they suggested the police force, which she jumped on. She was such a skilled fighter and knew the ropes of things well enough."

"Wow. Can we meet?"

"Sorry, she's not one for young boys unless she gives birth to one, which she won't - she hates kids and babies and any other type of pest, as she puts it. Anyway, even if all that wasn't true, I have no idea where she is. I guess I could call the PD but I haven't really found the time or energy or memory for it. You ready to go?"

He looked confused.

"To see your friends?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Um, you might want to bring them to your house, or some other controlled environment that they aren't familiar with. The last time I went to see them; they hit me in the face with one of the floorboards that they broke apart. When I woke up, they were acting funny and inhuman."

"You realize you're not human, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but I have a human attitude. They were acting like inhuman..." he stopped talking as he blushed an embarrassing shade of ruby red.

"What? Whatever you say won't make me lash out, I swear. It might annoy me, but not enough for violence unless you insult me straight to my face. You know what will insult me so if you don't share, I will be angry because you were about to insult me. Now, speak."

"Theyseemedlikeinhumansluts," he said quickly, too quickly for me to understand.

"Beg pardon?"

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever it was he had to say. "They seemed like inhuman sluts."

"Ah. Why exactly did you seem to think I would be that offended?"

"I don't know. I guess it was kind of a default thing - almost all girls I know get insulted when I mention sluts or skanks or prostitutes or hooker or hussy or whatever."

"Hussy? Seriously? People still use that word? I thought that died off in the eighteen hundreds or so. Anyway, how exactly did they act like sluts?"

"I don't know exactly how to describe it, other than comparing it to Circe, in Odysseus. You know, the enchantress who seduced the men and made them drink and then turned them into pigs? They seemed like her, only they didn't turn anyone into pigs or any other animal...that I'm aware of. Maybe they figured out that I am a werewolf and didn't know how to change a werewolf."

"Okay. So, you ready to go?"

"Did you not hear a word I just said?"

"I heard you. That doesn't mean I don't get a say in what is happening, if you want my help."

"Okay, okay; I'll take you to them."

"Great. We have to make one quick stop first. What do you think their powers are?"

"I don't know. Seducing, maybe. Uh, intimidation? I don't know; it's not as if I had time to ask."

"I don't think they are seductresses and you don't need an intimidation power to be intimidating. If they had intimidation powers, you would be sure; you wouldn't be questioning it. People swear that I have intimidation powers, but my skill pales in comparison to the supernatural intimidation powers. I say they aren't seductresses because they had to knock you out with a board. Seductresses lure you into bed and work her magic there, if they have magic at all."

"Okay, then I don't know."

We got into my twenty-year-old, paint-chipped, booger green, beat up car. He sat in the front seat and I strapped myself into the driver's seat. I knew the trick to the seat belts, so I was buckled quickly. Wade, on the other hand, had no idea how to get the belt unstuck from being half-way out. He managed then, to not only get it stuck more, but it got shorter. He pulled harder and I heard a small creak and a loud crack coming from my car. He stopped and looked at me, pale as a vampire. When he saw that I was silently cracking up, he blushed cherry-red.

"You find this funny? I can't manage to get a seat belt untangled. I feel like I broke something in your car. I feel like an idiot. And you're laughing. Why? Wait, how did you get yours to cooperate? Is yours like better than this one or something?"

"Nope; they are all the same. You can even come to this seat and see that they are all the same. And get that girlish blush off your face; there is a trick to it, which is so simple."

"Care to tell me what that trick is?"

"I'll give you five minutes. If you can't figure it out, I'll do it for you."

He growled but struggled once more with the seat belt. He had seen me in his peripheral vision, kind of unconsciously. He remembered it and mirrored my actions, based purely off of unconscious memory.

"Ha! Got it. If you don't want me to figure it out, don't do it right in front of me next time."

"I never said I didn't want you to figure it out. I simply gave you five minutes to figure it out because we have to go by then." I slammed on the gas; it's the only way to get the car going.

"Jeez, calm down. Why exactly did you floor it?"

"Did you want the car to actually move? Or did you want to just sit here and listen to the engine stall?"

"So you need to floor the gas just to get the car started? Doesn't that cause a problem if you took off like that in the city or somewhere where cops are?"

"I know most cops around here and while I don't like many of them, I know them and they know about my car trouble. They don't like that I haven't done anything about it but they don't charge me for it anymore. They have, however, warned me that they keep tabs on how many times they have caught me speeding, and marked it down. They said that if I cause an accident or damage public property, they will charge every speeding ticket and charge late fees with them. I'm a good driver, other than the speeding thing to get my car started. Now, shut up; I'm trying to get out of my long and dangerous driveway. I would advise you to hold on to something."

He grabbed my already half-broken door handle.

"Your car is really, really messed up," he noted, surveying the tears and broken pieces in the car. The doors were in bad shape, the back seat and the back of the passenger seat all had the seat foam stuff sticking out somewhere, the door on the driver's seat was almost completely stripped of the covering, the car was a mess in desperate need for repair but I was too cheap and lazy to get it fixed.

"I know. This car has seen many fits of anger - mine and other peoples'. I tend to make people angry and I also tend to get angry. I have been pissed at this car, among other things, on more than one occasion, causing damage to my car. I'm okay with it; I think that a bit of damage is one way of breaking it in and showing and expressing its own individuality."

He stared at me, bewildered. He blinked twice before actually saying anything. "Seriously? You break your car so that you can break it in? Seriously? It's a waste and I would take this car away if I didn't mind being seen with it."

Why was he taking such offense? "Hey, I like my car and it's not yours so what's your problem with it? Why are you so offended by the way I treat my car?"

He mumbled something I couldn't understand. We didn't say a word for the rest of the way.

2

I pulled into the parking lot of my friend's store-apartment combo thing. The usually-full parking lot was completely deserted, save for one car - hers. I parked as I glanced at Wade, frantic fright in my eyes. He caught it and unbuckled his seat belt almost as fast as I did. We stumbled out of our seats into the empty parking lot as we hurried to the shop. I knocked on the door and wasn't awarded with an answer. I opened the door, hearing the little bells chime as it opened. No one came; usually Dawne, my witchy friend, came right up to customers and greeted them happily, offering them any help, smiling all the while. I looked around. The carpet and walls and furniture were covered in blood and were disturbed. Everything was knocked over - the couch, tables, lamps, kitchen chairs, stuff in the shop, everything. I quickly turned around and flipped the open sign so that 'closed' was facing the street. I pulled down all the blinds and covered anything that prying eyes might catch.

"Dawne? Dawne? Dawne, where are you?" I called.

Maybe her kids will answer.

"Kids? Kimber? Misty? Angus? Ryan? Everyone? Is anyone here?" I called again. No one was answering. I felt like I was talking to the wall.

"Mama Kat, look," Wade said, pointing to a tiny figure laying unconscious, writhing and seizing on the ground not ten feet from me. Angus!

"Oh god! Angus, baby, wake up. Come on." Wait a minute. He's been Bitten. "Wade, he's been Bitten. Do you know anything about what to do?"

"Bitten? Bitten by what?"

Damn it. I forgot that fighters were the main people who know it by that.

"Bitten by a lycanthrope, Wade. Angus has been infected, which means that he was and still is nearly dead. Do you know what to do?" One glance at his face told me he didn't. "Okay. Stay with him, try to get him conscious, don't restrain him, and when he wakes up, yell for me. Don't try and take matters into your own hands. Don't leave him alone. Comfort him in a very primal way, as if you were talking to a wild animal. Don't panic, stay calm. With his new powers, he can hear much better and more sensitive. Stay calm, no matter what, and talk to him in a very calm voice. Right now, he can't understand much of what you are saying but he might understand some so don't say anything to provoke him. Say very simple, calming words and stay there. No sudden movements. Wait for me while I find the rest of the family."

He nodded, freaked out and heart rate pounding.

"And Wade, get yourself completely calm before he wakes up. Think of anything you can to get yourself calm. As a last resort, build a magic cage, silently. And I mean as a _last_ resort. I don't care if he scares you shit-less. If he attacks, build the cage, but only if he attacks. Oh, and keep constant eye contact with him no matter what you are doing. You are going for calming him and dominance here. I'll be back."

I could practically feel Wade's eyes drilling into my back in confusion. I ignored it and looked for Dawne and her other three children. They shouldn't be far from Angus - Loners are too lazy and primal and stupid to think to keep their victims far apart. Once this guy went furry, customers must have fled. Dawne would have stayed because this is where she lives, and, more importantly, to protect the kids. She didn't do very well with that which means that the guy went after the most dangerous one, Dawne, first and then the little kids, the oldest of which is seven years old and is currently in crutches from a fractured leg. Fortunately for her, the Change will heal that in a hurry, likely before she wakes up.

I searched every room and counted them all up until I found all four remaining in the family. I took the youngest of those four, Misty, and brought her back to her brother. I went in chronological order, youngest to oldest. After Misty, it went Ryan, Kimber, and Dawne. Misty and Angus are fraternal twins and Ryan is only a year younger than Kimber. Kimber is seven, Ryan is six, and Misty and Angus just turned four about a month ago.

When I got back to Wade with Dawne, no one was writhing or seizing any longer. Wade looked at me, a message in his eyes - 'perfect timing, Mama Kat.'

"Did anyone in particular stop first?"

He shook his head.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"No. Why?"

"You haven't been saying much, that's all," I said, feeling slightly awkward at being the only one talking.

"Not much to say," he mumbled. I only barely picked it up.

I patted him on the shoulder. "Talk a little louder, kiddo. Now, we have to calm these guys down before they kill us. I will warn you though, they will try. I taught you how to fight, but Dawne knows that fighting style just as well as I do. She knows it better than me but she won't know her own strength - the advantage I had was my preternatural strength but now she has the advantage, except that she doesn't know how to control her new abilities. Here they come," I said, looking at them as they rose, readying my stance and dominant glare. "Keep your voice calm and steady. At the moment, they are no more than pissed off animals so be careful."

He paled a few shades but nodded all the same. He readied his own stance and put a glare of his own in his eyes.

The family of lycans got up snarling and growling; even little Angus was growling.

"Do you know what they got Bitten by?" Wade asked.

"No idea," I said uneasily. "Maybe they will know once they are lucid again. Maybe."

He nodded, still watching the rising family of crazies. I did the same.

Dawne recognized me immediately and I could see that she was trying to see if I was friend or food. Her kids followed their mother's lead, just as they did in human life but more so now than before.

"Dawne. I am your friend and this is my cub, Wade. I know your name and I know your kids. You and I have known each other for a long time. I was with you when you gave birth to all your babies. I am not food. Do you want food?" I said calmly. She focused on me more whenever I mentioned food.

She growled a yes.

"Wade, talk to her just like I did while I go down the street and get some steak. I can take one of them with me. I have to leave Dawne here though," I told Wade as calmly as I had Dawne. I turned to Dawne. "Dawne, can I bring one of your babies to help me find food?"

She growled aggressively and stood protectively in front of her cubs.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Wade asked calmly. He probably already knew but wanted to either keep me here longer or wanted to double check and test his knowledge.

"That was a no. Sorry, pal, you have to watch them all. I will be back as soon as I can."

I ran through the door and toward the closest raw meat-carrying place. Being a lycan, I could run much faster than a human and I could be much more terrifying when I needed or wanted to be.

Lucky for me, a Wal-Mart was right across the street from the shop. I ran to the meat section, grabbed ten of the largest and bloodiest pieces of raw meat there, and ran to the check-out thing. I ran past everyone in the long line of people waiting to buy their things. I heard too many objections to count and many too obscene to repeat. Even the cashier objected, even though he looked kind of relieved to be interrupted from his argument with a customer.

"Lady, I'm sorry, but you gotta get to the end of the line."

"Do you have a large family of newly-turned lycans to calm? They have food up there but they are all out of raw meat since humans don't eat raw meat, lycans do. If you want me to get out of your hair, let me out of here now."

"You have to pay for that first."

"Do. You. Have. A. Large. Family. Of. Lycans. To. Calm. And. Make. Sure. They. Don't. Maul. A. Fif. Teen. Year. Old?"

"No, but that's not my problem. You still have to pay for that."

_That's too bad, but to cover your ass, say that I am a goddamn witch and made you do it with my powers or something. Make something up but make it believable. As you can tell, I can get in your head so just tell them that's what I did. Don't respond to this but look really dazed as I leave_, I told him through a telepathic connection.

I looked at him and he was convincingly dazed. I ran for the exit, set off the alarm, and kept running toward the shop. I got to the shop to see that Wade was having problems. Dawne and her kids had begun to form a gang. Organized, not solitary. That narrows it down a little bit.

"Wade! Dominance!" I barked. He shied from my voice, leaning into the gang of lycans a little. Not really what I wanted.

"Dawne! Kimber! Ryan! Misty! Angus! No! He is not food! I have your food and it's nice and raw and bloody. If you want it, you're gonna have to leave him alone and are gonna have to come over here to get it," I said, my voice clipped and razor-sharp.

Dawne growled at her kids, probably telling them to stay and terrorize Wade.

"Ah, ah, ah; all of you have to leave him alone. Back off him if you want food." I knew it wasn't a good idea to keep food from a predator, especially an angry and hungry one but if this was the only way to keep them off Wade, then so be it.

Dawne growled reluctantly at her kids, telling them to follow her to get the food. I backed up to get them away from Wade and away from the more expensive things in the store.

"That's it, Dawne. What are you? You gonna tell me? What attacked you?"

Her eyes flashed and orange-ish color. Could be anything. They had to be some sort of pack; their behavior screamed it.

"Any other clues that I can have?"

She growled.

"You've done that. Can you speak? Tell me with your human voice? I could try to smell it on you if you let me."

She shoved her hand toward me, obviously against speaking. I looked at the kids. They all had those strange orange eyes. At least there was only one attack.

I smelled Dawne's hand quickly before she changed her mind. I almost growled but stopped myself; the smell was familiar, and not in a good way. I knew their attacker. I am gonna kill him. I looked up at Dawne.

"Lion?" I guessed, even though I knew I was right.

She grunted an affirmative and began wolfing down the meat, eating as if she hadn't eaten in months. I watched as she ate, seeing her three-inch incisors extend only half-way down and her retractable claws poke out a little, clutching the meat. I saw the kids do the same, just with smaller teeth and claws.

I turned to Wade. "How much do you know about lions?"

He paled, seeing what I wanted. "No, no, no. I am not babysitting newly turned werelions, especially when it's a mother with her four young. I barely made it when you were gone earlier. You can't leave me here, alone with a small, pride that has no alpha."

"That's actually a good thing that they don't have an alpha, and so long as you stay away from the kids, you'll be fine." He looked at me like I was talking Mandarin. "What?"

"What do you mean, it's a good thing they don't have an alpha? I thought lions needed an alpha."

"No because lions are often killed, especially the alphas. Here's how it works. Alpha of a pride. Here comes a pride-less male who challenges alpha. For the sake of this argument, pride-less male wins challenge, kills other lion, and takes over pride. That is one way they die. Another way is through sickness, age, accidents, and 'other.' The alpha males are the ones who protect the females and cubs. They don't install hierarchy because it is instinctively there, without question or change, usually. Prides go alpha male, and the rest. Females are in charge of cubs but cubs are equal to females. The ones who are treated the harshest are the almost-grown males, to make sure they don't try to challenge their own alpha. Once each male, except the alpha, is fully grown, they are kicked out. The females usually stay in their birth pride for their entire life and are usually all sisters, but are always related."

"You didn't answer the first question; why is it a good thing that they don't have an alpha?"

"Because it would be a werelion and he would challenge you. Since lions are bigger and stronger than wolves, and they fight to the death when challenged, you would be toast, a tasty meal for his new pride's hunger. However, I need to track down the man who might return and claim dominance over them. Here is what I am asking. Let me go to the store to get as much meat as I can. I will be able to get enough to put them to sleep. Dawne will probably be really, really tired but will watch her kids until they fall asleep, which shouldn't take long after they have eaten. Hell, I'll stay with you until they go to sleep. I will have to leave after that, though. Attack a guy who is about five-one with scar down his left cheek, an eye patch on his right eye, a limp, and cat-like features - graceful, quick, organized, proud, quiet, then call me. He will regenerate quickly against anything except silver. Dawne has plenty of silver in this shop - it's a key ingredient in witchy wonders. Attack her with much less silver if she decides to attack. Dawne is smart, and even in her primal state, she knows a warning when she gets one. I'll be back. I might have a black eye, though. Puts a whole new meaning to Black Friday, even though that day isn't here yet. It is Friday, though."

I dug a pair of gloves out of a box in her kitchen and threw them at him, pointing to the mass quantities of silver Dawne keeps. I heard Dawne growl at me as I left. She didn't want me to go. Good sign. I think.

I sprinted to the grocery store, grabbed a few carts, went to the meat section, and immediately began filling them with meat, all sorts of meat - chicken, beef, lamb, pork, ham, sausage, marinated meat, hamburger meat, lunch meat, bacon strips, pepperonis, everything, and I grabbed at least eight of it all.

I went out the doors with the carts and sprinted back to the shop. Unfortunately, the door person stopped me before I could even leave.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You can't take these like this - you have to pay for all this. And it is illegal to take the carts off the premises. You need a form of transportation other than your own two feet since you can't carry this."

Oh for the love of all things good and holy. "Uh, I have a ride coming."

"You still have to pay for this."

I looked around, making sure no one had called the manager, or that there weren't people crowding around us like they do in movies sometimes.

"Okay, mister. How much do you make in a month?"

He reddened. "About fifteen hundred dollars, give or take a little."

"That's no way to pay the bills, is it?" Without waiting for an answer, I took out my wallet and palmed a few fifties. "How about you get a bonus for this month, just for helping me out. See, I'm trying to keep my son from being eaten by newly turned werelions. He's fifteen right now and I am just worried sick about him. What do you say, help a woman out this one time? You even get a couple hundred dollars in the process. It's a win-win situation; I get to help my fifteen-year-old, you get a couple hundred dollars, you feel good about saving a life, and I get to get back at the bastard who put us all in this situation. And I get my meat."

"How do I know this isn't a load of bullshit?"

"Well, you could come down and see the lions yourself, but I took them to the back so that people wouldn't see; they are newly turned and werelions are not known for their good tempers. They are unpredictable and volatile. I am dealing with them and have training for how to deal with them. I gave my kid the basics, so he knows what to do. He also smells like me and I am great friends with them. They have never met you and you don't smell like me. You have no idea how to deal with lycans and it is not a good idea to be around a new lycan and not know what to do. I really have to go, so make the choice now - take the money and let me pass freely or don't take the money and leave me no choice but to get past you forcibly. I am trained in so many types of martial arts it would make your head spin just thinking about it. _Let_ me pass or _make_ me pass?"

"Go right ahead, milady. Thank you for doing business at Wal-Mart, have a nice day, and come back again anytime you want," he said as if nothing had happened and took the fifties from my hand.

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day yourself."

He nodded, watching the security camera nervously. I turned around and blanked the last ten minutes of it, which showed me coming in, trying to leave, bribing my way out, and leaving with hundreds of dollars worth of meat without paying a dime for it. Except the exit fee.

I balanced the carts so that I could push them both and run at the same tume. I watched the meat nervously as several pieces tried to escape the carts. Luckily, I arrived at the shop before anything fell out. I pulled the carts onto the sidewalk and pushed one in, knowing that the other one would probably be attacked if I brought it in as well. Wade's eyes went huge, like dinner plates.

"Mama Kat, how much did that cost?" he said, in falsetto.

"Absolutely nothing, just like the last meat I brought. You came in really handy - I used you as an excuse, saying that a family of lycans had to be left alone with my fifteen-year-old. The first one was saying that they would maul you, and the second one said that you were a fifteen-year-old who had been taught only the basics of how to deal with anything like this. I also emphasized that they were lions. I'll be right back; I have to put the other cart in her garage. Only get it if they still aren't asleep half an hour after they eat all the food. Or if they are looking at you like you are lunch and the food is gone."

He nodded, still pale as a sheet. I clapped my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry kiddo. You'll be fine."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you going?" he said, panicky and thoroughly freaked.

"I have to track down the ass who did this," I growled, turning around, my back to him.

Suddenly, he squared his shoulders and stood up taller and bulkier. "No, you are not. You have left me alone with predators who will gladly eat me if there isn't enough food around. I command that you stay. You know marginally more about this that I do. You will not leave me alone with these things for an extended amount of time."

My back still facing him, I smiled. "Wow, you have some balls, standing up to me. I am your teacher when you are away from school. I am the equivalent to your mother, just one who kicks ass for a living. You stood up to me. You have some balls hiding under the skirt you wear so often. Looks like you changed into some pants and dropped the skirt. I hope you don't go get a new skirt. Now, I reckon it will take me a while to find the jackass so I'll help out around here, Pants."

"Great, so now my nickname is 'Pants'? Let me guess, if I stop acting like this, will my nickname be 'Skirt'?"

"Maybe. By the way, you are closest to the meat. Toss them each a piece or two."

"I don't know how big the pieces should be. Could you get it?"

"See, this whining is what will get you called Skirt." I walked to the cart and pulled out some turkeys. Extending a single claw as discreetly as possible, I tore open the packaging around each turkey. I retracted my single claw and threw the turkeys at the werelions without bothering to gut the turkeys. "I grabbed as much meat as I could get."

"What do we do when they are done with the turkey, which is in about three seconds?"

"We give them more. Do you want a break?"

His eyes lit up and he nodded. I stared at him flatly. He stopped nodding.

"Okay. Go down to the store, grab a cart or two, fill it up with all the turkey you can get, whether it's lunch meat or full turkeys, grab all of it. When you get stopped at the door, which you will, tell them that you are the fifteen-year-old that the lady who came through earlier told them about. Say that you can summon me with the push of a button if they don't let you pass. Also tell them that we won't bother them again. Oh, and blank the security camera as you leave. If security is called, push the button."

"What button?"

I handed him a pager. "_That_ button, the red one. It will come to my phone saying there is an emergency. Don't push it unless it is an emergency. If you push it and you simply need help doing the job I gave you, not only will I call you a skirt in front of your friends, repeatedly, but I will beat you senseless. Leaving the lions alone is dangerous. Go. Now. Hurry."

He turned around and took off running as if his life depended on it. _He really is a skirt_, I thought as I unwrapped the meat in the cart. Then again, they only dealt with the hypothetical and fun stuff in that damn school I pay for every month. Granted, I get a discount due to my crappy financial status so I pay a fraction of what other parents pay but I still pay for him to sit around and learn fancy magician's tricks. When this little situation is over, I might call and complain that he isn't learning what the school promised and that he is learning what they promised he wouldn't. They promised not to teach mere magician's tricks, but to teach things that could be used in battle. Now, here he is, having no idea how to deal with a lycan. Granted, these are newly turned, dangerous lycans, but they should still be teaching him the basics for this situation.

Actually, where is the phone?

3

"Kat? Kat? What's going on?" an extremely groggy Dawne asked behind me.

I turned, slowly, just in case. "Dawne, what is the last thing you remember?"

"Um a man came bursting through the doors. He had claws and long teeth. Then nothing. What happened?" Not quite as groggy, Dawne was scared out of her mind.

"The man that came in was a werelion. It looks like you he Turned you and your kids. You are your own small pride of lions, alpha-less, as it most likely always will be. Technically, the lion who bites is alpha but he ran off. Anyone can be bitten, but only the males can infect people. Wade is on his way with more food. I'll help you with this once you and your cubs are well fed."

"My babies are gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. They are fine right now. You can talk to them if you want, though I can't guarantee what sort of response you'll get."

Dawne turned toward Kimber and knelt, patting her cute blond curls. "Kimber, baby, are you okay?" Kimber batted her hand away with a clawed hand and hissed and growled at her mother. I growled at Kimber, who, in turn, whimpered. Dawne looked at me, horror in her eyes. She looked down at her hand, watching the flesh knit itself back together. That one thing pushed her over the edge of calmness and sanity. She ran at me, clawing and biting and roaring and hissing and crying. I held her off well enough, but didn't fight back as she attacked. She had to do this in order to accept what she was.

Suddenly, she stopped. She looked as surprised as I felt. "You...you...you smell like...you smell like me, just different. Kat, what's going on?"

"I'll tell you when you're ready. Now, come on. Keep attacking me. It will help you to accept all this, to let out all your anger at everything right now. You won't hurt me."

Suddenly, she looked at me with a look in her eyes. A look that was dangerous and one that I hadn't used in a long time. Hunger. A look of starvation and deadly, I'm-gonna-eat-the-first-thing-I-see hunger. I side-stepped and walked to the cart. I pulled out a large piece of meat and swung it a little, watching her eyes follow the ten pound snack. I threw it across the room. She pounced on it. I heard hisses and whimpers coming from the floor; her kids were jealous. I pulled out more meat and threw it to them. It landed right in their mouth and they snapped it down.

Angus, being the youngest, began to lay down for sleep. Dawne faded back to the lioness part of her, rather than the human part. I hope this is just a phase - going between human self and animal self. As the cubs were mostly asleep, I went outside to warn Wade to come running with the turkey. In the distance, I heard him coming loudly with the carts. I smelled the meat, which smelled really good. I figured I had enough time to go inside to grab some meat if I went fast.

When he came up to the parking lot, panting, I was snacking on a large piece of lamb. It tasted vaguely like venison, which is my favorite. Venison tops all meat, by far. But since you can't get venison at the local grocery store, you have to get the closest thing. In my opinion, goat is the next best thing, but that is also kinda hard to find in grocery stores so lamb it is. It is often times hard to find lamb, so I'm glad that the local Wal-Mart carries it. Weird, huh?

"Hey kiddo. How much did they hassle you?" I asked jokingly, then stopped when I heard footsteps running toward us and smelled metal, Velcro, gunpowder, and sweat. I felt my face fall.

"Yeah. I wasn't running that fast to get to the lions. I was running fast because I didn't want to get shot. You have some skills in magic, right?"

I sighed, exasperated. "Of course I know magic. What am I paying that school of yours to do? Babysit? Never mind, stand back; you don't know the magic I know. You know magician's tricks. I know those ones too, but when it comes to actual fighting, you don't know squat. Let me handle this. Go inside and double check that the lions aren't totally asleep."

"I thought we wanted them to be asleep."

"Not anymore. Right now, we want to be able to intimidate these officers if we have to. Go!" I snapped down the rest of my lamb. Shame I couldn't enjoy it. Standing up and taking a deep breath, I walked over to the sidewalk to block the officers from getting to the door. Before rounding the corner, I looked down at my hands. They were just how I wanted them to be - electrifying. I loved how the little blue shocky things played painlessly across and around my fingers, palms, and arms.

I rounded the corner, seeing three armed police officers as I approached them. They were running toward me, slowing down as they neared. The middle one spoke first.

"Ma'am, you are gonna have to move. We're chasing down a thief. He has probably hundreds of dollars worth of...," he looked at officer on his left. "What was it again?"

"Turkeys. He has hundreds of dollars worth of turkeys in a cart. Move aside please," the other one said dryly.

"Yeah. I know what he has. I told him to get it. He's my son. Now, I'm gonna have to ask you to turn around and leave," I said, my shocky hands hidden slightly.

"Ma'am, are you threatening three police officers?" the one on my left said.

The one who talked first should be called Ace, the second one should be Flynn, and the third one should be Trey - 'Ace' means 'one,' 'Flynn' can mean 'two,' and, 'Trey' means 'three.'

"Okay, guys. You don't want to do this."

"What do we not want to do?" Ace asked ruefully.

"You don't want to fight me. You don't know what you're dealing with. If you fight me, I will kick your asses. If you try to arrest me, the cuffs will be across the street along with your asses before you can get close to me. You do not want to fight me," I said the last words slow, one at a time.

"Ma'am, we are police officers, trained in almost every martial art and most of us are relatively familiar with the basics of magic. Just let us pass," Trey said tiredly.

"First, stop with the 'Ma'am' crap, and second, you don't want me to let you pass."

They looked confused.

"Didn't you wonder, at all, what my son needed the turkeys for?"

"Actually, I was kinda curious. It's not like the kid can actually consume that much food before it all goes bad, even if you have a family of ten," Flynn said. "But would you cut the crap and let us nab that jack- er your son?"

"Gladly, but I want to check one thing; do you know how to deal with a family of five, newly Bitten, hungry, impatient werelions? If you know how to deal with that, be my guest," they looked down at their guns. "Those puny things will slow them down for less than a minute. If you cage them, they will break through in a matter of minutes. Then, whatever you do, you will have five pissed off lions. One is a mother. She will consider you a threat to her cubs and come after you and all who stand in her way. Newly Bitten lycans are more powerful and the most dangerous of all lycans. Lions are, of course, very dangerous already. If you guys want to bother yourselves with that, be my guest."

Ace was suddenly very pissed off at me. "Did you turn them? Did you?"

"No sir, I did not. I am against turning. Anyway, I am a tiger, not a lion. My son - who isn't my biological son - is a wolf. We are both very powerful, but no lycan can turn one into a lycan that is not their own species. A lion can't be changed by a snake; a cougar can't be changed by a hyena. This family was turned by a lion, and I know exactly who it was. If you want something to do, go track him down. You are as familiar with the law as I am; there is a lot of paperwork that goes into legally changing someone. This guy broke into their house and turned them. Just broke in, turned them, and ran. You still want to go?"

"No. You said you know the name of the guy who changed them?" Trey said, skipping the consultation with his colleagues, leaving them looking very irked. From their expressions, it seemed like he did this a lot.

"Yep, and he is already in the system as a sexual offender and he might be there as a lycan offender, but I'm not entirely sure. His name is Milory Gaurav Irma. He goes by Gaurav, just Gaurav; he hates his other names, says their girls' names. I looked them up and they are. He has striking amber eyes and a nose that looks like it has been broken several times. His face is pretty much a square; square chin, square jaw, square forehead, square cheeks, square mouth, square everything. He is about five foot-one. He looks kinda like a lumberjack and he is incredibly strong and muscular. Add lycan strength to the muscle and lycan agility and you have his physical strength. He also has a bit of an intimidating prowess. Remember, he is incredibly fast, graceful, agile, and flexible, despite his size."

"Wait a minute. We don't know if she really is a tiger, we don't know if her adoptive son is a wolf, and we aren't here to nab a lycan who can kick our asses in his sleep. Are you registered?" Ace said, clearly still irritated.

"You know almost as well as I do that lycan licensing and registration is not only not required, but illegal to require someone to. I am a tiger and you are just going to have to take my word for it. Have I given you any reason for you to doubt me?"

"Well no, but all lycans lie. I am a police officer and almost every lycan we have ever brought in-"

"Almost every human you have brought in lies to you. Lycans just stick out for you because we're different. Lycans who are dragged in there are not only stupid, but they're slow and incompetent. If they get caught by humans, they are slow and they are stupid because we have our own Council that not many humans know about. Lycans are terrified of them when they get in trouble because they are not only in trouble with human law, but they are in trouble with the most powerful of the lycans. They will not shirk from their responsibilities and they punish lycans justly and fairly. That's _after_ they are punished by humans. Now, sorry that you can't keep these fine memories, but I'm gonna have to wipe you dry."

I locked eyes with them, putting them in a hypnotic trance, brought my hands out from hiding, and picked through their memories, taking out everything that could get us in trouble.

When I was done, they all passed out. I went back about ten feet, woke them up, acted as a jogger, and went toward them.

"Hey guys. You okay? You kinda passed out there. You need me to call an ambulance? Got any head injuries or anything?" I said, going up to them, adopting a southern accent, hoping they wouldn't be able to tell that I was faking.

"Huh? What am I doing here? Who are you?" Ace said, standing up quickly. He swayed a little as the vertigo from standing up too fast. "Whoa."

"You guys were just talkin' about some rapist or somethin' that you have to track down. I think you said something like 'Milory Gaurav Irma' who goes by 'Gaurav' 'cause he hates his other names. You don't 'member?"

"No I don't. I guess that's karma for you, huh?" Ace said, still woozy. "Come on, boys. Let's go to the station and check on this guy she was talking about. What did you say his name was?"

"You said somethin' like 'Milory Gaurav Irma, who goes by his middle name 'cause he hates his other ones.' You guys sure you're okay?" I said, biting a nail in fake concern, holding up the 'innocent southern jogger' act.

"Okay. We'll go off that. Come on, guys," Ace said, helping Flynn and Trey up.

"'Kay. Bye! Stay upright for me, 'kay!" I called after them.

"We'll try," one of them said.

I turned back toward the shop, pleased with my work. Not only had I gotten rid of the cops, but I sent them to chase down my step brother. Hopefully they were good enough to last more than five seconds with him. I know I sound like a mean sister, but when your step brother tries to kill you because you accidentally took his prey, you get a little pissed. I doubt the cops could or would kill him, but they would lock him up. The Council would pull him out and punish him worse for Biting, rape, and murder, both attempted and successful. He was in some deep shit and I couldn't be happier.

I walked into the shop with a smile on my face, which was immediately thrown off and sent down the garbage disposal, stomped on, and melted when I saw the mess Dawne and her cubs made of the meat. The cubs were eating the meat like actual lion cubs would. Dawne was watching her kids like a mother lion would. Wade was pressed up against the wall, pinned by the awful stare of a mother lion. I walked over and moved him, as a mother would her cub which was the exact impression I wanted to make. Dawne growled. I snarled back in warning, promising many horrible things if she fought me or my cub.

"Mama Kat, what are you doing? You are pissing her off. What is your plan? You always have a plan. What-"

"Wade, you're babbling. Shut up. Do you know sign language? I think I taught you."

The skirt nodded. I started signing.

_Dawne doesn't know sign language. Kimber knows a little bit, but not much. I am claiming you as my cub. You technically are, so it makes it easy. You have to act like my cub if you want protection. Oh, and Wade?_

He looked at my face_. Yeah?_

_Stop trembling. You are going to act like a cub in the wild. If you change your age into cub age, you are almost out of the den, almost out of the group. Act like you can defend yourself, not like you are two years old. You are under my protection only so that she won't kill you or attempt it. I will have to act like a mother who protects her cubs, just as she is. I don't want you to act like a newborn. Don't be an idiot and try and act tough. Also, don't be an idiot by acting like you are defenseless. Do you understand what I want you to do?_

_Sorta._

_When, or if, she glares at you, act like you don't notice. If she comes at you, I will growl at her to back off. I am superior to her because of age. Neither of us can act as alpha because she knows we aren't lions. She isn't old enough to tell the difference between different animal scents. She might recognize that we smell different. Might. If one of her cubs comes to play, ignore them unless Dawne doesn't growl at them when they come near you. If she growls, stay away. If she doesn't, you can play if you want. If you don't want to, shake your head and I'll growl at them. I will try to get her out of the animal attitude, but I can't guarantee anything. She will be out of this within the first seventy-two hours of being Bitten. From the smell, they were Bitten at about nine, this evening. That means they have been this way for about three and a half hours. Let's just hope that they are more human sooner than later._

He nodded in response. I walked over to Dawne. She growled. I growled back.

"Dawne. This is not you. You are not a beast. You are a human. Not animal. I am your friend. You like me. We have meals on Tuesdays at three. You are not a lion. You are a human," I said, my words sharp and snappy, and each sentence bitten off and curt.

She whined.

"No; human."

She laid down and rolled over in a surprisingly lion-like manner. I knew she would be acting like a lion, but this was like she was a lion. _I need to hurry_, I thought.

"Stand up. Human. Dawne Diata Jones. Not lioness. Dawne. Diata. Jones. That is who I want, not mother lion."

She stretched in that stretch that only animals do, butt in the air and front legs extended as far as they will go. She got up and yawned. Her eyes cleared, looking less lion-like and more like my friend's. I knew that she had gained control of her body. She wouldn't be this human-lion thing anymore.

4

"Kat? What happened? And why does all that raw meat look so appetizing?" she said groggily.

"You were Bitten, Dawne. You are a werelion, and so are the kids. Right now, they are in the same state that you were in. You need to help me get them out of that state. Before we do that, though," I turned to the meat. "Are you hungry?"

"Um. I don't know."

"The change takes a lot out of you. Eat until you feel like you can't move. Then, you'll feel better after about fifteen minutes. That is when we will get your kids out of this state. I'm hungry, too so let's eat."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a weretiger. I don't remember much of what happened when I was turned, but I remember feeling extremely tired, hungry, and groggy. That is about how you feel, right?"

"Yeah. You never told me. Why?"

"It was a secret that I wanted to keep. Only two other humans know that and one of them is dead," I saw the horror on her face. "Oh, no, I didn't kill him. My human uncle was the one who knew. My half-human cousin also knew. I don't know what happened to her."

"Okay. What now?" she said slowly, processing the new information.

"I would suggest that you keep this stuff to yourself as well. Make your kids keep it a secret, too. Now, eat. Lions prefer what? Buffalo? I've heard that buffalo tastes kinda like steak. Here. Try it, see if you like it. I prefer lamb because it's the closest I can get to venison without hunting," I said, throwing her a piece of steak. She bit like the carnivore she is and light filled her eyes.

"Holy crap! This is delicious. What is it?"

"It's steak. It is the closest thing to buffalo I can get. By the way, buffalo wings are not made from buffalo. They are chicken with sauce and seasoning. They are called buffalo wings because they originated in Buffalo, New York. I am going to eat my lamb now."

"Um, by the way, why are we eating raw meat? Won't we get like E. coli or salmonella or something?"

"Nope. Being carnivores and having very high metabolisms, our systems kill it off before it even becomes a threat. You want to try the turkey? Wade grabbed a lot of them."

"Um. Sure. How much did this cost?"

I looked at her, straight in the eye and said very seriously, "Nothing."

"I'm serious, Kat. How much?" she went to the back, getting her money. "I'll pay you back, whatever it is. I can cover it. I know that you aren't exactly a billionaire. How much?"

"Should I tell her the truth that it cost nothing, but risk a slap in the face or should I let her have her way and guess at how much all this cost? Hmm."

"Kat, just show me the receipts. I don't mind."

"It really was free for me. Not many people would do what I did. Wade came close to getting shot, or at least arrested, for what I told him to do, which was exactly what I did. Twice. If someone charged me with all that I did, I would be charged for theft, theft, and mentally assaulting three police officers. I would be looking at either a decade or so in a human prison, or a much worse fate coming from the Council. Wade would also be charged for theft." I looked at him. "Did you do anything else? I forgot to ask."

"Nope. I didn't accidentally hit the doorman or accidentally swing a turkey at the manager when she was called. I didn't do any of that; otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble. Right, Mama Kat?"

"In trouble with whom?"

"Well, obviously the authorities, but also with you. You know, if I did do those things."

"You're right, you would be in trouble with the cops and Wal-Mart, but you wouldn't be in trouble with me. You won't be in trouble with the cops though, and I won't be in trouble with Wal-Mart. If you get called to court, you can claim insanity. I can say that I am your shrink and can say that we had come so close to a break through, but this was so disappointing. I would say that I would take you into my care and watch you, trying to see what caused this sudden break down. How's that sound?"

"Pretty good. I don't know if they will recognize me though - I moved too fast for the camera and the people were stunned. They were watching but the best explanation anyone can give is 'a skinny man with brown hair, over five tall, and moved really fast.' Thanks for not being mad at me."

"I thought you didn't do it? Anyway, Skort, nice job not being caught on camera. You hungry? We have lamb, beef, steak, ham, pork, sausage, uncooked burgers, turkey, turkey, turkey, lunch meat, pepperonis, everything," Dawne growled when I said 'steak' and Wade knew better than to take away my lamb. "But I would stay away from the steak and lamb if you are interested in your health...unless you want to test your fighting skills against a newly turned lion, and/or me. If you want a fight or two, take as many as you want."

"No, I'll just stick with my usual beef...and maybe a sausage or two."

"Dig in. There is enough here to feed a castle," Dawne said.

"Well then there might not be enough. We have seven lycans here, five of which are newly turned. A lycan usually eats about thirty-five or more pounds of meat every week. Newly turned lycans eat three times that of other lycans, who aren't new, like me and Wade. We can eat three pounds right now and we'll live. You each need at least twenty pounds today. Maybe the kids don't need quite that much, but they need a lot more than a not-newly-turned lycan kid would need. They might need ten pounds each, at the minimum. Call the kids over here. They will probably only respond to you, their mother, for the next few days or weeks."

"Kids," when they didn't come, she called them by their names. When they still didn't respond, she looked at me.

"You have to growl for them, in a kind way."

"Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

"I wanted to see if you could figure it out."

She growled a perfect growl for them; they all came out of instinct.

"Okay, little kittens, you want food? Meat?" I half growled all the words, so that they would understand what I was offering a little better. They all jumped up and down and clapped their hands and snapped their teeth. "Good."

I handed them all one of each kind of meat, seeing which ones they preferred. They snapped them all down and seemed to enjoy the pork the most, unlike their mother.

"So you guys prefer boars better, huh? Well, here is some more pork for you." I threw big pieces of pork to each of them, careful to get it to each kid. "Wade, you know how much they need and you know how to deal with them if things get rough. I'm gonna see if that jackass left any indication of where he was going."

"The guy who attacked us? I think he said something about Guatemala, like a business deal he had in Guatemala. Who was he to you?"

"Toast. He is my step brother. He didn't go to Guatemala for a damn business deal; he went there because there is a price on his head here in the states and Guatemala is one of the few countries who won't abide by the death row law. Guatemala won't keep the price on his head, but when they find him, they can sentence him to entire life in prison per our request. We can also take him back if we permanently remove the death row. Unfortunately, I don't know if they have a prison for lycans; even here they are rare - they are expensive to make and transport and maintain. Guatemala might have a couple but the registration for lycans was banned so they won't know that he is a lycan. There aren't words to describe what he is. Even if I could find those words, you wouldn't want to hear them. Wade, how much have you given them?"

"Um, they aren't eating any more pork. What do I do?"

"Give them another meat. Try turkey and if they don't like that, give them steak. If that's a no, give them lamb. If they still won't eat, start it back over with pork, just coming from Dawne instead. If they still won't eat from Dawne, then they are done. Give them more about fifteen minutes after they have finished. Anyway, Dawne, when you're done eating, could you come with me?"

"Sure. Why?"

I started to answer but Wade cut me off.

"Because she has some questions about some girls that my friends found out about at school. I can do the research myself, Mama Kat. I can handle those girls. You go stop your step brother."

"I would say fine, but I have a few problems with that. One, that school of yours teaches little magician's tricks, not fighters' magic. Two, I'm interested in this thing. And three, these 'storm girls' you told me about might be able to help us if we can persuade them to. Even if they don't, I can chase down Milory anytime I want to, now that I know where he is going and why."

"I think he said his name was Gaurav."

"His full name is Milory Gaurav Irma. He goes by Gaurav because he says that the others sound like girls' names. His name means 'pride,' which really fits; he's a werelion and they live in a pride, and he's a very proud and very vain man."

"Interesting. Dawne, you better take the food; they're not eating from me anymore," Wade said blandly.

"Um. Kat, how do I feed lion cubs?"

"You are their mother. Use your instincts; you'll figure it out," I looked at her face - it looked hurt. "I am not doing this to be mean; I'm doing this because I can't be here every day and I can't spoon-feed you the solutions for every problem you run into. I am trying to teach you to deal with the problems that will come up. Within a few days, or hours, your kids will be kids, not cubs. If you want them to be kids ASAP, you should feed them and then try and coax them out of it. That is something I will help you with, if you need it."

She gulped, but nodded anyway. She started handing out food the same way Wade had. I chuckled to myself a little; these cubs were going to feed the same way wolf cubs feed, at least for the moment.

"What? Am I doing it wrong?" Dawne sounded almost frantic.

"No. You're doing great, just exactly like our wolf friend here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" A faint tone of defensiveness entered her voice.

"You're feeding them like wolves, not like lions. It's okay though; they won't be in this state again unless something bad happens. Something really bad. Something like them going Crazed, where there is absolutely nothing you can do except..."

"Oh god! Not my babies!"

"If one of them goes Crazed, they won't be your baby. They will be a monster who eats anything that moves. Crazed lycans are nothing but mindless, bottomless, eating pits. There is nothing you can do for them, except to put them down. Going Crazed happens when hormones and emotions are extremely high, meaning at puberty, times of extreme stress, extreme injuries, and many other causes. The best thing to do for them right now is keep them calm and as unstressed as possible. Same with you. Get confident with yourself, your abilities as a werelioness, mothering and otherwise."

"You aren't exactly helping," she grumbled.

"Eating helps, too. It helps with mood and hormones. Your metabolism will be really fast, burning all that you eat so, like Mama Kat said, we have to eat a lot of meat every day. The amount of meat we need varies from species to species, but thirty-five pounds a day is a good rule of thumb for carnivores our size. Bears need the most but they can have fruit and vegetables to satiate their hunger, even though they have to eat more meat than fruit, they _can_ be vegetarians if they really, really want to. Smaller animals, like wererats, eat about five pounds of anything per day. Each new lycan needs at least twice the amount they normally would, for the first week or two, sometimes even the first month," Wade jumped in, saving my ass.

Dawne nodded, eating more steak and giving her kids more pork and other meats. Eventually, they made their meat preferences very clear. They didn't like lamb or beef very much and set it aside whenever they got it. They wolfed down the pork. The steak and turkey seemed to tie for second place. Dawne gave them more turkey than steak, keeping the steak to herself as much as she could.

"Don't worry about running out - I gave a few bucks to the door guy at Wal-Mart and Wade got tons of turkey. There is also still some meat in the garage and I was gonna run out to get more lamb. I'll sneak out the back this time, or I'll glamour myself and the food and carts. I can get enough to last you guys the rest of the month. No arguing because I am bored. See ya in a little bit," I said and took off through the door before anyone could argue. I went to the garage, unloaded the meat from the carts we had, made a mental note to get a large freezer, and ran the carts back, only to steal more meat and bring them back.

5

Coming back, I went into the garage and unglamoured myself, bringing in the original three carts and two more. I unloaded a giant freezer, put it in the corner of the garage, and filled it with meat. The meat I didn't load was put in a cart and brought inside. It contained lots of steak, lots of pork, five turkeys, and some beef and lamb.

"Surprise! I come bearing food. Pork and turkey for the little ones, steak for Dawne, beef for the skort, and lamb for the crook. Dawne, you also have a present in the garage."

"What kind of present?" she asked cautiously.

"A necessary one. Here, eat up. Eat away your sorrows and feed your hormones and metabolism. The best part is that even if you gain two hundred pounds, it will be gone in a few days - four at the most, two at the least; it will be gone in about a day for you guys. Now eat, all of you. You have all sorts of meat now and enough to last for at least a month. Honestly, all that meat would last me a year but I am not newly Bitten and I don't have four kids. You will all eat four times, or more, than what most lycans eat. Some lycans don't seem to grow out of the major hunger stage of being Bitten. I imagine that this will be kinda like being pregnant, just the cravings are narrowed down to meat and you won't have a huge belly or swelling...it's actually nothing like pregnancy. The only things pregnancy and being Bitten have in common are the cravings, but meat only, pains in random places - mostly the abdomen - mood swings, and I think that's about it. By the way, we are going to track my brother down for a few reasons: committing capital crimes, but mainly, for personal reasons - yours and mine."

"What are the crimes?"

"He Turned people without permission, left you guys to fend for yourselves after, and bit children under the age of six. He would receive that last crime three times over because Ryan would probably fall under the 'child under the age of six' category, even though he is six. The personal reasons are long and hard to explain; they go more in depth than what I said earlier, and yours are kinda obvious."

"What is the punishment for breaking those laws?"

"Usually, death penalty but people get hearings. The verdict is just usually death, especially for every capital crime. Why?"

"'Cause I want to see what kind of punishment is in for the guy who did this to us."

"One thing that will help you with this is a lesson that I had to find out for myself a long time ago; being a lycan can be a pain in the ass and many people - and many lycans - see it as a curse and something to be feared. I see it as a blessing - you can escape your life for a little while and enjoy the simple pleasures of having only animal needs on your mind, people not yelling at you, the thrill of hunting and chasing and the high you get from it. It can be a pain because you can't tell people what you are, you occasionally come across your animal needs while you are in human form, and you have to shift at a certain time of month. For most guys, their time is the full moon, but for girls, it is usually their period. Children are unpredictable at first, but their time is usually the full moon, at least until they reach puberty. It is rather unpredictable for everyone at first, but after a couple of months, the pattern is established and for that reason, I am going to stay with you and the kids while you work through this. I will stay until you all develop a pattern and I will come back again when each of them reaches puberty. I will unfortunately have to take time off work to do this though."

"How will you get along? You know I am not doing well in the financial department, what with four kids and all. All I have to keep us afloat is this damn shop and even this is only barely doing the trick."

"I don't know," I lied. "I guess I'll just have to get creative." Or maybe it is time to claim those family responsibilities and re-tie those damn family ties people have been telling me about.

"Weren't you pretty wealthy as a kid? And how are you paying for Wade's school?"

"I wasn't wealthy; my parents were. Two completely separate things. And I am paying for Wade's school off pity money. The school sees that he has extra potential and wants him. They know my financial situation is less than desirable so they pity us and charge us a teeny tiny fraction the cost other families pay."

If I don't stop lying, I am going to end up in a web and if I take one mistake, I will fall in a hole and plunge to my doom, or at least lose the complete and utter trust my best friend gave me. I am plenty wealthy, or at least I would be if I claimed my place in the family. But I turned my back on them long ago, done with the politics and the fancy dinners and uncomfortable dresses and the servants waiting on me and so many other things that were not suited for me. When I turned my back on them, they told me that I would have to either apologize for something I didn't do, apologize for something I did do but was well-deserved, or beg to be taken back. I would stoop to some pretty low things and I have shown my own indignity to myself, but I will not stoop that low and I am more dignified than to beg or apologize for things I didn't do. They expect me to not only apologize, but to grovel while doing it.

I couldn't go back there. But I could go to the one person who understood why I left. She wanted to do the same but couldn't for reasons I sort of understood. Two reasons are apparent: she doesn't have enough courage to leave, and she loves our mother more than anything and couldn't summon the strength to leave her. Our mother hates me, but loves my twin sister. Our mother is also very ill but is too damn stubborn to die; otherwise she would have been dead when she had her third heart attack at the age of seventy-two. But no, that woman is friggin' invincible and stubborn. I would throw a damn party if she died. Unfortunately for me and my twin, we would not be able to have a reunion unless I went back there because she would stay with my grieving father who would, in turn, die of grief. Then, my dear and loving sister would stay at home and soak in her own grief. Only then, might I return. I love my father dearly, but cannot stand my mother. My sister would need help ruling and she would need the help that only a sister can give.

"Hey. You okay in there?" someone asked.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You kinda spaced for a minute and your face went totally blank. You looked kinda dead to be honest," Wade said.

"Thanks. That's just what every girl wants to here. Just remember, I can kick your ass even on an off day," I swiveled my head to look at Dawne. "And right now, I could probably kick your ass. Once you have proper training, we'd be equals. If we become unbalanced, I don't know whose skills would be better, yours or mine. Whoever is better would only have a slightly higher chance than the other of winning, but we would still be close to equals. A fight between me and Wade, on the other hand is kinda one-sided but I'm think he might be able to win a fight or two against me. Maybe."

"Thanks, Mama Kat, I really appreciate that high praise of my fighting skills," Wade said, the entire statement so slick with sarcasm so much that I'm surprised no one slipped and fell in it.

"Well, if you had paid attention when I was teaching you how to fight, you might be better. I thought wolves were supposed be very patient."

"Have you ever met anyone who has more patience than me?"

"Yes, several, in fact."

"Okay, give me one name. One name that you did not make up."

"Fine. Angus has more patience and a longer attention span than you."

"He does not! He is barely four years old!"

"So? I know people who are eighty and have the attention span of a mayfly and people, like Angus, who are young and have the attention span and patience of an elephant. Age only matters until a certain point."

"He's not gonna win this fight, is he?" Dawne asked.

"Nope," I told her. I turned to Wade. "You might as well just quit before you embarrass yourself. If you drop it now, we can both forget about it. I will even say that you and Angus have equal patience levels. Maybe."

He just stood there, mouth wide open in offense. Angus pointed and laughed and we all laughed at the irony that it was Angus who pointed, as opposed to someone else pointing or no one at all.

"I think maybe my son understands more than we all thought he did. More than most people thought that children his age could," Dawne said, still laughing.

"No, I think he is just laughing about how dumb-founded Wade looks," I said, smiling and wiping away a tear that escaped while I was laughing.

"Hey! That is not nice, Mama Kat!" Wade said, trying - unsuccessfully - to hold back laughter.

"Nice. Sounds like you really mean it."

"Shut up," he said, still laughing.

"Hey, Kat, aren't the kids supposed to be either cubs or regular children?" Dawne asked.

"Oh shit, yeah! But first, you have to change into your catform...Preferably like in the garage."

"Why?"

"Which one? The away from the kids part, or the changing part?"

"Both."

"You have to change before your body and hormones decides to take over your first shift. If that happens, you won't be in control of it - it will rip through your body like a hurricane through a city. Your mind will be that of a lion, with instincts and all. You probably won't recognize the kids as your own and you'll attack them because they are lions that are not in your pride, even though you have no pride. If your body shifts because of hormones, you will be thinking like a normal pridecat, thinking you're in a pride and not really regarding whether or not you have cubs. I know this as fact, even though I have not seen it. Your kids can't see you because if they see you shift, they are completely unpredictable. They might shift, they might attack, they might stay calm, and they might try any combination of the above. It's too risky because I will have to have my full attention on you and Wade doesn't know enough about other lycans to fight off four of them, should he need to."

"Yet you let him alone with us while you broke the law. Twice."

"That was because I knew how you would act. With this, I have no idea how they would act and I will not be able to get to him to help him without leaving you, which wouldn't be a great idea during your first shift."

"Got it. Too many risks. Easier to just avoid them by doing as you say."

"Thank you. I know what I'm doing here, although I don't know everything. I am not a pre-cog so I have no idea what will happen next. Now into the garage with you."

She put a small pout on her face about being ordered around.

"Oh, can it. You and I both know that I know the ways of lycans better than all seven of us. Although your kids might argue that they know the most about us because they are kids, and they are in that unique Turned phase. This only happens once and you should be glad for it. If it happens more than once - which is rare, but possible - you are in excruciating pain until you are able to shift back into a normal form, whether it's animal or human. I think the pain has something to do with the fact that your limbs want to stretch out and change but something is stopping that. For your first time, your body doesn't know that it's not supposed to feel like that so there is no pain. If it ever happens again, you will wish for a silver knife to pierce your heart with, trust me. I have seen it; not many stay sane when that happens and an insane lycan no longer has any kind of mind. An insane lycan becomes Crazed and it has no desires other than eating, eating, and eating. It will eat anything that moves. Once it spots the living thing, it launches for it and rips it apart, leaving a bloody mess behind. They become vile and disgusting things. It is truly awful."

"Oh," she said quietly. "Will that happen to my babies?"

"Not likely. The process that the body goes through in that state is always caused by something; very, very severe injury and any other very extreme stress on the body. If a leg is broken, it's not a big deal. If a few limbs are torn off, then there is a chance of the re-turning process happening. If you are bitten again, but by another species, it's a fifty-fifty chance. You will go through it but it might not be painful. What will be painful is the choice your body must make, between whichever species you were originally Bitten by and the second Bite. I have heard of one case where that happened, but I don't remember the result."

"Oh," she said again, just as quietly before.

6

I opened the door to the garage and waved her inside with a quick flick of my wrist. She walked right in and leaned against her car.

"Like your present?" I said, pointing to the giant fridge I stole.

"This was the necessary present? It's huge. What would I use it for?"

"Meat. A lot is already in there. There is also a spell for summoning meat, and glamouring it if you ever need it last minute. I know you're a witch and already know summoning and glamouring spells, but these are specifically made for meat. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said with a wispy, hollow voice and numbly nodding her head.

"Hey, cheer up. You will feel better after you shifted."

She took a deep breath and nodded once, more sure.

"Okay. You have a few ways you can position yourself; sit on your butt, lay on your stomach, or get down on all fours, your choice."

She sat on her butt.

"Like this?" she said timidly.

I beamed at her, "Perfect. Now, imagine yourself as a lion, imagine yourself becoming a lion, and let it envelope your thoughts like a blanket."

"I can't," she whimpered after a moment.

"What part can't you do?"

"Any of it. I can't imagine myself as a lion-"

"Yes you can. You thought of yourself as a lion before, without realizing you weren't a lion. You know how you look as a lion."

"Okay, well I can't imagine myself changing - I don't know what it looks like. Could you show me?"

"No. Wade can," I turned my head to the door and drew in a breath.

"Wait! You're a tiger. I can imagine a shift better if it's by a cat, instead of a dog."

"The shifting process looks the same - I've seen it. I've seen a bird shift and I've seen a rat shift. The process looks exactly the same, just different features on the animals."

"All right."

"You know how; it's instinct now, you just don't know it...as confusing as that is."

She nodded, nervous.

"Relax. Do you want me to force your shift?"

"Um. Is that healthy?"

"Uh it can be. What I would do is force your shift, get your confidence up, and then you shift. Doing this would be like eating a twinkie. Eating one twinkie every once in a while won't kill you, but eating a lot eventually will. Forcing a shift occasionally won't kill you but doing it a lot might. You want to do it?"

She nodded earnestly.

"Okay. I'm gonna have to ask you to lay on your belly if you want me to do this."

She nodded and laid down.

"Like this," she asked.

"Yep," I said, walking over to her. I reached down at her back and started massaging the right parts of her back and neck, then worked my way down to her ribs, arms, wrists, neck, legs, ankles, everywhere that was going to dramatically change. With each massage, I felt a little shiver.

"Look up at me," I told her. She turned to face me and stared directly into my eyes, but her eyes weren't human - they were the diamond of a cat's. "Okay, this is gonna feel really weird."

I massaged every muscle in her face, then I saw it. A ripple went down her back. Most people would think it was the wind or her adjusting herself. That was not anywhere near what was about to happen.

I saw another ripple go down her back, and another, then three down each arm and leg. Her front rippled three times, then her face. One more big ripple went down her entire body, taking her skin with it and leaving fur and a changed body in its wake. It was absolutely beautiful. I was so pleased with my work that I accidentally let a purr of pleasure escape my throat. Dawne looked up sharply at the unexpected sound.

"Easy, girl. It's me, Katherine, your friend. You know me by 'Kat' but that's a little confusing sometimes. Nod if you understand."

She nodded slowly. One of the kids growled playfully inside. She lunged for the door. Shit.

"Dawne, no! We talked about this, remember? Your kids can't see you yet. You don't want them to hurt anyone, remember?" She totally ignored my pleas.

"Dawne! No! Down!" I barked, then growled deep in my throat, a small reminder of who was dominant. She matched my growl with a real cat's growl. I transformed only my throat, so that I could give a proper roar as yet another dominance reminder. She whimpered and laid down. I heard Wade running to the door.

"Wade! It's fine. Growl at the kids as a dominance reminder if they get out of hand," I yelled hoarsely and listened as his footsteps retreated back toward the kids...then I heard a mighty wolf growl. I would really hate to be someone who got on his bad side, but he wouldn't dare do that to me - he recognizes which one of us can kick his ass, and who can't kick mine. He'll learn, though, after I take him out of that school and put him into one that will actually do as I ask - not teach him circus tricks. He needs to learn the magic that matches his skill level, because he was right when he referred to the magic he was learning as 'like a board book in with all the novels.'

"Dawne. Who is dominant?"

She rolled over half-way in partial submission. I saw part of something on the covered-up part of her belly.

"Roll over all the way," I said quietly, thinking. She didn't do anything. "Now!"

She whimpered again and rolled over with her neck showing in more-than-full submission. If I really wanted to, I could kill her right now, which is why no wise animal does that unless they trusted their company totally and completely. I touched what I saw. She hissed and recoiled slightly but didn't strike. I took my hand away and examined it without touching. It resembled something like two pieces of metal welded together, but like a claw mark. It was nearly eight inches in length.

"What the hell?" I muttered, then louder, I said, "Roll back over. I'll help you shift back, unless you want to try."

She looked like she was trying, but really she looked constipated and it wasn't pretty.

"You don't have to concentrate very hard. Just do like I said earlier - imagine yourself human and let that image drape over you like a blanket."

After a short nod, she shifted.

"Yes!" we both said triumphantly.

"Where did you get those marks?"

"What marks?"

"The ones on your belly. Don't tell me you can't feel them?" I said, disbelieving.

She lifted her shirt and, instead of the 'welded' claw mark, we saw three faint, white scars in its place. I could tell it was the same scar but different in human form.

"I don't know. I've never seen them before."

"I know what _those_ are, but what I saw when you were in catform were way different. They looked like what metal looks like when it is melded together and not meant to look pretty but it was that exact scar, it just looks different in different forms."

"Okay," she said slowly. "I think I'm relatively comfortable with shifting. I will shift then look."

"Okay. By the way, you winced and hissed when I barely touched it. You probably would have at least batted at me, but you recognized me as the ultimate dominant in the room and that it would be very unsafe to injure me. We are going to have to work on that. Dominance thing, I mean, because I shouldn't have to scare you that bad just to make you listen to me and you are dominated very easy, which is bad. It makes it easy for others to dominate you. If someone becomes your dominate, they can do anything they want to do to you - kill you, make you do whatever they want, do things to you, etc. You need to learn to trust only certain people and to not be dominated by anyone, just like in human form. So, you ready?"

"I guess," then her skin rippled like water again, like with everyone's shift.

"Roll over."

She complied. I ran to grab a mirror really fast. I aimed it at her belly and tried to angle it at her face.

"Can you see the mark?"

She shook her head. I angled it, getting it wrong over and over.

I knew I hit the correct angle when I saw the utter shock, strangely human looking, on her lion face.

"See what I mean? They look like edges of messily welded metal, don't they?"

She nodded her head slowly, as a scared human would. She wasn't scared though - she was truly and utterly shocked; having a scar that large and not even knowing it would freak anyone out. She extended a claw and was aiming to poke it.

"Uh, that wouldn't be-" I started but was too late; she poked it with her claw and was sitting there yowling and hissing and roaring in pain. "...such a good idea. Yeah. Why don't you shift back now; it'll probably help with the pain." She shifted and came into human form still screaming but stopped once she realized the pain was over.

"What the hell was that?" she huffed, totally out of breath.

"I have no idea. I did warn you that it was hurting you. Twice. Since that was probably where Milory struck when he attacked you?"

"I think so, but I can't remember much."

"Do you remember anything you would now consider strange about his claws?"

"Such as?"

"Any of the four elements surrounding them? Strangely colored claws? Anything that you don't have, other than testosterone and a bad attitude?"

"I can't remember. Maybe fire or air or something on his claws? I can't remember."

"Damn it! Fu-um, F my life! Damn it!" I said, accompanied by a silent string of curses so that she wouldn't have to hear my words; Dawne didn't approve of foul language.

"Calm down. What's the problem?"

"Hold on," I turned my head toward the door. "Wade! Stay where you are, but I think I found another piece to the puzzle of your storm sister thing."

"Really? What?"

I glanced at Dawne. "I'll tell you after the kids have returned to a normal form."

He hesitated, "Alright."

"What is it?"

"Nothing, although you might want to come here. You too, Dawne."

I held back the swearing that I felt I needed, knowing perfectly well that I would be saying them all over again in a few short moments.

"I am going to guess that the kids turned to cubs on accident and Wade saw the scars you have, on the kids."

When we saw them, we saw just that - scars, all the same and matching Dawne's.

"They shifted and you were busy with Dawne and I had to watch them and-"

"Wade, calm down. I don't need an explanation for things that occur naturally. That would be like me asking why trees grow, not how they grow or why they are here, but why they grow. There is no explanation needed, and for the trees, I don't know if there is an explanation out there yet. And about the scars, Dawne has one too and we have already decided what they are and where they're from. It makes me want to kill my bat shit crazy brother."

"What's your brother have to do with it? Does it have anything to do with the storm sisters?"

"My brother found some way to surround his claws with fire and air, and as for the storm sisters, le will like this," I took a deep breath. "I think he is in contact with at least the lightning girl. I don't know anything else that could make his claws like that. He is probably in contact with your friends, too. He learned that you knew something, went to the lightning girl, got his claws...changed, and came after Dawne. After all this, I think he's after me, but he has got to be following orders - he isn't smart enough to do all that on his own. If he were on his own and wanted me, he would just come after me himself, without considering consequences. Whoever he is working for, wants me. I have no idea why, other than that I may have disposed of someone or something dear to whoever this person is. Let's call the person Alex, just because I don't want to keep saying 'whoever it is' and that is gender friendly - Alex for Alexander or Alexandra."

"Well, let's go then. Everyone has already shifted on their own, the kids are back from their human lion state but still have to shift back to human. I am bored of just sitting around so if they don't get it when we ask them to, I will assist them," I said bouncing up and down on my heels.

"Uh oh. Mama Kat is getting impatient. That's dangerous. You can tell when she is impatient because she'll bounce up and down on her heels or she'll pace or she'll be moody for no reason, other than impatience," Wade muttered to Dawne.

"I heard that, Wade."

"See, you do get moody and snappy when you're impatient. I know that you being impatient is dangerous. I realize that you have never shown me the results of your impatience, but I have seen them when I got home from school early or got out of bed or your job came home. I know you tried to keep me away from your job but I got curious when you brought people over. You taught me how to be quiet, so I was. No one ever heard me when I watched."

"Ugh! Wade, what I do scares the shit out of grown men. You must have been like three years old, when I was doing the bulk of my interrogation work. Other than that year, there were sprinkles but not many. What did you see?"

"Uh, I have no memories from when I was three. I think I was like six, because I told my teacher and my class about parent career day. They didn't really mention anything after but all my friends asked me about it and the people I didn't like thought I was lying."

"Damn it! Damn, damn, damn, damn, _damn_!"

"What," Dawne and Wade said, almost simultaneously.

"When you were six, I had three interrogations. How many did you see?"

"Three, so all of them."

"Ugh! Those were gruesome and awful. Something no six-year-old should ever see. There were worse things in my living room than there were in the War of the Magics. I thought I sealed your door properly."

"I guess I was a good mage, even at age six."

"No. That was a sealing spell, and this one was like a cage. I have fought things more powerful than you who couldn't get out of it. That thing took a lot of energy out of me though. I cannot _believe_ it!"

"What? If you cast such a powerful spell, how did he get past?" Dawne asked.

"Someone broke it. I don't know who or why, but there are only a handful of people I know of who have arcane powers that strong. Wade, you will be one of them, once your MP is fully grown and at its maximum."

"MP?" Dawne asked as I took a breath.

"Magic Potential. His powers will be as strong as they will ever be once his MP is fully grown and maxed out. The list of people who were able to do that eleven years ago is probably about the same size as it is today. Today, some of them are dead and some of them reached their MP max recently. I don't even need two full hands to count the amount of people who could break that spell today. I'll have to think about the people who could eleven years ago. I probably won't need two full hands for that list either, but I don't know. One person I know for sure is on both lists is Milory. His power is as strong as mine, if not stronger."

7

"Mama Kat, how is your power so strong and why don't you use it when you work?"

"It's complicated, hon."

"I'm fifteen. I think I am old enough to know some things about you!"

"If you say that, you aren't old enough. Anyway, it's one thing that I am keeping a secret from everyone. If you want to act old enough for stuff, use your skills and make sure the house is totally secure and has no unwelcome guests."

"What do you-"

"Lock us in, Wade. Secure the locks so that we can only get out by your say-so."

"Okay."

"Why is he doing that?" Dawne asked sweetly.

"If there are any stowaways, we can lock them in and I can fight them. Wade will shape a few wolves and search the house."

"What about the kids?"

"You can get them to a safe place and either sit with them or fight with me. If there are any intruders, and they're after your kids for some reason, you will have a hell of a fight no matter where you are but it would be safest for them if you were with them. If there are any intruders and we don't know their intentions, we'll play it by ear. You pick where you want to go, _if_ anyone is found."

"Got one!" Wade said from far away.

"Can you elaborate on that?"

"Someone is here. What's your name, man?"

"Ralph. Ralph Whettle," a quivering voice said. Wade held him by his hair, but alarm shot through me.

"Wade. Bring him to me, now!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down."

"Don't you tell me to calm down!"

Then the impostor came into view. Wade was carrying him as he would a puppy by its scruff.

The man sneered at me, "Well hello, little sister. I thought I recognized that annoying voice, and the name to match. I thought, no it couldn't be her - she wouldn't risk having a son. It just goes against that stupid, baby warrior I knew before you left. Now that I see you, I congratulate you - I don't know any mother who is in your shape. You had, what ten years to get rid of the fat and you never were one who would wait for things to come naturally. So, his name is Wade, huh? Kind of a dumb name, kid. Did you ever think of getting it changed?"

"Well hello, Michael. How are you? I really missed you. Not. You want to know what I really missed? I missed kicking your ass whenever we were training. You want to play, kitten?" If we each hadn't been weretiger siblings, that would have sounded more dirty than I ever wanted to think about.

He blew me a kiss. "Sure, little sis. I'll play, but I'll go easy on you. I have trained and learned so many new fighting styles."

"I know nearly all of them."

"Really? How many of which are you a third degree black belt in?"

"Most of them. How about you?"

"Prove it."

"I don't have a thing to prove to you. How about we talk about the asshole Milory. I know that you hate him almost as much as I do."

"Old Guarav, huh? Well, I don't hate him anymore. Actually, we are like best buds now."

"I don't believe you," I said narrowing my eyes, scrutinizing his face, searching for the lie I knew was there.

"I'm not lying. Anyway, why do you hate him so much?"

"Same reasons you did, that and he tried to kill me and now he has attacked my friends."

"Ah yes, I smell that. I also smell that you have accomplished the impossible and given birth to a wolf. Is that really your son, or is 'Mama Kat' just a nickname?"

"He is my adopted son. I know you are lying about Milory, I just don't know why. Can you help me find him?"

"I told you, we're best buds now. Anyway, he must be getting himself into some deep shit because he won't tell even me where he is. Sorry I can't help, little sis. Well not really, but hey it sounds touchy. Anyway, got to go."

"Wait. Why are you here in the first place? And why lie about your name?"

"I have been following for a couple years now. Ever since I got home."

"When was that? And why did you leave?"

"Let's see, I left three years ago and I left because Ma told me to leave. I had brought the cops to our door one too many times, I guess. I got back about two years ago, but you didn't have a son then."

"Did anyone else follow me while you were gone, before you left, at all?"

"Nope. Dad got tired of waiting for you to come home and when I got home, Ma was sick. Dad and Namir sent me to find you. I figured, hey why not see what she's doing before I send her on home? Now, you're going on a hunt for Milory. I should tell him, shouldn't I, Kat?"

"You won't."

"And why not?"

"Because as much as you seem to hate me, I am still your little sister and you know what Milory would do to me. You were also always one for keeping damsels out of distress."

"You are always in distress, and you never have any problem getting out of it - on your own."

"You always loved and hated that, too. Anyway, if you tell Milory that I am looking for his blood, I won't be able to get out of it on my own. Wade is still a baby when it comes to fighting Milory, and Dawne is a newborn. I'm the only one who will last more than thirty seconds against him, but even I can't beat him."

"Well, what is stopping me from contacting him right now?"

"This," I said slamming magic at him. He was pushed against the wall by an invisible force. His breathing sounded difficult, his veins bulged as he tried to force himself free, and he looked constipated. That means that he was concentrating, probably saying a spell in his head to get himself free. When that didn't work, his eyes flew open in murderous rage.

"Oops, did I use my powers to trap you? I think I did and you are just in a tough spot, now aren't you?" I said in my best sweet-and-innocent voice.

"Go to hell, bitch!" he spat.

"That's no way to talk to your baby sister, now is it?" I said, still sweet and innocent.

"You aren't a baby anymore - thank all that is good and holy - and you said it yourself: there used to be things in your living room that were even more gruesome than the War of the Magics. That is really saying something. I tell you what; I will help you in any way I can."

"Without telling Milory."

He nodded reluctantly, as if hoping that I would've forgotten that. "Without Guarav."

_I am lying about being best buds with him, but I'm being watched. I can't do much for you, but I swear I'll do as much as possible. The people watching me are freaking scary. If they find out that I've connected any sort of link with you, I'll be severely punished so _please _don't make me regret this. I'll speak in code with you but I can't give you direct answers_, he told me in a mind link.

_Alright. Thanks, big brother. Look me straight in the eye if you are putting your neck on the line for me. If you are, thank you very much and I'll owe you one if we all come out alive._

My brother looked me straight in the eye. Damn it!

"Kat? Just curious; how many brothers do you have?" Dawne asked sweetly.

"Would that be adoptive brothers, step brothers, half brothers, or blood brothers?"

"Uh. All of the above?"

"Let's see. I have three adoptive brothers, just one step brother, and four full brothers. And I have sisters. I have a very, very large family."

"What are your siblings' names?"

"There's Karl, Andrew, Jake, Nate, Tommy, Kris, and obviously Milory and Michael are my brothers. Carrell Ann, Namir, Rose, Cassie, Shika, and Xie are my sisters. Strange how most of my sisters are blood sisters, as opposed to adopted, half, or step."

Both Wade and Dawne's mouths dropped; if it was a cartoon, their jaws would be on the floor.

"You have fourteen siblings? Why?" Dawne said, astounded.

"Well, to answer that one, you would have to ask our parents," Michael said.

"Who are your parents, Mama Kat? You never talk about them."

_I had a reason for running away, and I am going to keep my old life separate from my newish life. I will help you get away from Milory's men but if you say anything, that deal is out the window faster than you can call for help_, I told Michael through a mind link.

His eyes held an understanding when he looked at me again. "Our parents are politicians. They are very popular with most people, and they're really big into pristine manners. The don't like a scene of any sort and casual clothing for women consists of panty hoes, a skirt, a blouse, and flat shoes. Casual clothing for men is slacks, button up shirt, and dress shoes. It was the reason Kat left, and the real reason I left. I told Ma and Dad that I wanted to get out, see the world, reconnect with a few friends, stuff like that. They believed it and I escaped from there. Then I went back when Dad called me home since Ma was sick. I guess Namir never filled you in on that, even though she was obviously writing to you. Tell me, Kat, why wouldn't you come home, even after hearing news that your mother is deathly ill?"

"Why aren't you there, comforting her by telling her that her least favorite daughter's corpse is a fine meal for the starving city rats? You accuse me of neglecting my own mother when you're here, doing the exact same thing. There is only one difference though; you and the family care. I don't. The feelings of not caring about each other is mutual between me and them. You care about them all, and they you. I only care about some of my siblings, and Daddy," I told him acidly.

He growled a warning as a retort.

"You sure you want to do this?" I asked him. His eyes told me the answer.

"Wade, let him go. Michael, outside. Now," I said, cold and curt.

8

Wade let go of him and Michael walked in front of me as if I had a cattle prod and was poking him really hard. He went in the direction I walked and stayed far enough ahead that I didn't step on the backs of his shoes when I stepped, but not so far that he would occasionally have to wait for me to catch up so that I could move him again. I walked him out to the alley behind the shop where no one would see. If I didn't know better, I would say that this alley was the origin of the term 'back-alley deal.' He opened the door, positioning himself so that he would hold it open for me. I kicked him through it, let it close, and opened it myself. He fell down the two steps and landed a face-plant on the concrete.  
>"What the hell, Kat?" he said, making sure his teeth were all there.<br>"I can hold open my own damn door."  
>"Holy shit, I was just being polite. You didn't have to send a face-plant my way as a reward."<br>"Well you stepped a foot outside, and when I say outside, that means the fight starts when one of the fighters steps a toe outside. Your foot and arm came outside. That means the fight - oof!" I was knocked off my feet with a punch to the stomach that I didn't even see coming.  
>"Well, you're finally growing some balls, Michael. Nice improvement. Before I left, you barely had the nerve to punch anything but a bag. Your number one rule was always no hitting girls, even if they broke your nose, chipped a tooth or two, broke s, or tore muscles. Do you remember how many times I took advantage of that rule?"<p>

We were circling each other as I taunted him. He almost took a step towards me, but thought better of it.  
>"I know, and you were never a girl. Even though it took me this long to realize it, you are more manly than any man I have ever met. That Wade kid is less manly than you, and he is-"<br>"A skirt. He is whiny and sometimes I swear he is a woman in a man's body. However, we were talking about you and me, weren't we?"  
>"Yeah, well Wade is a part of you. He has your eyes, or at least that crazy little glint you have in them. And that rebellious fighter light, too. Did you teach him that, or did he just pick it up as you raised him? Is he really an adopted kid, or did you just screw some random wolf, and somehow have his gene come out dominant?"<br>"You are still set that he is my biological son. Why? Are you sterile? Are you a daddy? You and I both know that you weren't saving yourself for marriage. You don't know that I'm not."  
>He lunged at me. I caught him as he came at me, took hold of him, and shoved him down. He landed on his back with a thud. He bounced off the ground a couple of times, grunting louder each time.<br>"Holy shit! Where the hell did you learn that? That is crazy, and you're a crazy bitch!"

"I learned it on the job. You're not a very good spy if you don't even know what I do for a living."

His face went blank. "I uh- I- What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a mercenary. I take down the things that go bump in the night. I should kill you, but I need you. You are my key to Milory."

"You really think I'll lead you to him?" he laughed.

"I think I can _persuade_ you to do it. I can take off one fingernail at a time, slowly. I can pull out tufts of hair. I am well-versed in forms of torture. I could make you wish you were dead," I ended each sentence with a punch or kick to the stomach or face. I would have to glamour him so that the little ones wouldn't see the horror that was his face.

Unfortunately, he attacked me with as much damage as I did to him, if not more. I defended myself as best I could and avoided having my arm twisted off several times. I gave him a blow every time he hit me and he attempted to hit me each time I hit him.

He paused, catching his breath. A mistake. A huge mistake, one that will lead you to death. I gave him a taste of that lesson of how big a mistake that was. By the time I was done, he was clutching his stomach and his balls. He lay there, curled up in a ball, writhing on the ground.

"And that is why you don't pause and let your guard down in the middle of a fight. If your opponent was actually bent on killing or capturing you, you'd be dead or bound. Even Wade knows that, and he didn't take to his training well so he isn't a great fighter."

"Okay, sis. Lesson learned; you didn't have to beat the shit out of me _again_ to teach it to me."

"The best way to learn is through experience. That is only a taste of what would happen if you were in a real fight."

"A real fight? A _real fight_? I thought this was a real fight?"

"Nope. This was practice for me and a lesson and ass-whooping for you. Lesson was 'don't be a jack ass to the only sibling you have who can kick your ass.' Now, next lesson. Stand up, shut up, look at me, and hold still."

"Why?" he asked cautiously.

"Because I don't want a couple of four-year-olds to shriek at the sight of your face. Now, hold still and shut up."

He smiled, then grimaced at the pain.

"We'll have to change that."

"What are you doing?"

"I said shut up. I can't do a thing if your mouth is moving and annoying me with the useless noise that comes out. Shut your mouth, keep it shut, and _do not move. _I am glamouring your injuries. I am doing an age-sensitive glamour, meaning that I am going to keep the kids from seeing your awful face, but everyone else can see it, see the damage I did to you when you pissed me off. You even got two warnings; most only get one."

"I got no warnings!" he protested.

"Shut up, hold still, and yes you did. I told you that I knew nearly all fighting styles, when you challenged me, and again when I asked if you really wanted to do this. You answered with your eyes. Those are both warnings."

He breathed a sigh of defeat. Good.

When I finished glamouring his face, I led him inside, this time with an actual sick; a substitute for a cattle prod, just for the fun of it.

"Oh holy mother of all that is good and holy. What the hell did you do to him, Mama Kat?"

"I taught him a lesson. And don't worry, Dawne, the kids can't see the damage. I gave his face an age-sensitive glamour. No one under the age of ten can see his face as it really is, only their last memory of him. It's a nice trick to know."

"Since when are you so well-versed in magic?" Michael asked, disbelievingly.

"Since you started paying more attention to the people in your bed than to me. You know well enough that Carrell Ann, Rose, Cassie, Shika, and Xie spent more time in either clubs or parties than around me or our brothers. Milory was always involved in something illegal. A few of the boys had a sweet tooth for clubs and parties, too, but most of them would hang around the house and work out or train. Me, being the youngest, was always the training partner/punching bag. After a few years, I was able to go three to one, unless you, Jake, or Nate was in it. If one of you three were there, I could go one on two. I learned basic magic in school and got more detailed tutoring by the private tutor that I hired behind Ma and Daddy's backs. They never found out but the girls all knew and some of the guys knew. They always threatened to tell Ma and Daddy what I had done if I got outta their line. I was good around them, but there were always strange things that happened to you guys and oddly enough, nothing happened to me. You can't blame me for it, though. It was you and everyone else who wanted me to be able to defend myself better than women around. You guys taught me the pranks, the fighting, the individuality, and self-preservation. Just because I actually paid attention to lessons and progressed in them doesn't mean that you can blame me for what you did."

"You hired a private tutor?"

"Yup, and obviously, you weren't one of the guys who threatened me about telling Ma and Daddy, but what does that matter now? That's the past and I'm not going back."

"Yes you are. Even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming, you're coming home. I gave my word."

Oh this just keeps getting better and better. When he gives his word, he has no choice but to keep it, due to a genetic trait that was extremely rare and repeatedly recessive. We had a curse in our family, but after a few generations, it turned entirely genetic, and always recessive.

"Damn it, Michael! There are two things wrong with that: that place is not my home and we both know it, and why the hell did you give your word? Daddy can't be after me that bad; he hates to use the curse and he doesn't love me quite that much, otherwise he would've made an effort sooner and with people more trustworthy and reliable than you!" I realized something wasn't quite right. I said quietly, "But it wasn't Daddy, was it? Who did you swear to? Who wants me there?"

"You're not gonna like this," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "It was the rest of the family, including your favorite two."

"Milory is _there_? And he wants me there? He had to know that I would be pissed at him. Why would he wait for me?"

"Uh, if it would help, I haven't made my report yet today. You could tell me how much to tell him?"

"Fine. Call in now. Tell him that I am heading over here. I just got here this morning so it should work."

"No it won't; I told you, I'm being followed. All I can do is say that you haven't found them yet and that I am safely hidden away in a place that not even you can detect. If any of the others called in their reports, they would know you had company. I am sorry I gave my word to them, I really am. I didn't know what I was getting into. I was half drunk and a hot chick asked me to. You know how well a partially drunk me combines with hot chicks. If she gave me the full details, I would never have agreed."

"Yes you would have. You with a single drop of alcohol, and a slut is a combo that could destroy the world. You no longer have power over yourself if any girl - other than me - asks you to do anything. What did she ask you to do, anyway?"

"She only said that I could bring you home, as long as I gave her my word to help her. That's all she said and I'm really, really sorry that I did."

"Good. Can the others come?"

"Are you sure you want them there?"

"No. I'm lying that I actually want my family to meet...well my family. These guys are like family and the people back there are only technically my family. If they want to come, will you let them?"

"I don't see why not, as long as you give them the full details of who they are, how they'll be treated, what the trip will be like, who _you_ are. I don't want them to be clueless about _anything_. Got it?"

"Of course. Unlike _some_ people, I don't like keeping others in the dark unless _absolutely_ necessary," I said icily.

He stalked off to them bathroom, probably to clean himself up.

"Holy shit, Kat! What the hell?"

I just laughed at his newly reconstructed face. I turned around to face my real family.

"Okay. There is a lot I haven't been truthful about, like my family, who and what I am to them, what we all do, etcetera. I am going to be blunt, short, and to the point. I am a weretiger, along with most of my siblings. I am part of a matriarchal system, who rule in pairs. Me and my twin sister are next in line to the throne. I ran away about ten years ago, tired of all the formality, parties, jackasses of brothers, sluts as sisters, and me. I am the odd one, the ugly duckling, the one who seems to have more testosterone than any of my siblings, yet is still female. I got all the benefits - I got strength, smack talk, and girly features. None of my siblings can kick Michael's ass; I can. My twin sister, Namir, is the total opposite of me. I have strength; she has passion; I love blood; she loves flowers; I openly kick ass and look like it; she looks like the dainty princess she's supposed to be, but can inspire fear in even those with strongest of wills. I almost wish I had that particular ability, but I like the fact that I can scare people shitless just looking at them if I want to. I will have to go back there, anyway, when my mother dies - her sister already died. With our government, you have to start out with two women, usually sisters, but there always has to be someone on the throne. Namir is covering for my aunt, and has been since she died. My mother hates me. I don't know why, but she hated me even before I ran away, before I was able to kick my brothers' asses. I have always loved my father though. Him, Namir, and my age were really the only things keeping me sane. Questions so far?"

"Um, yeah. You're a princess, right?" Wade asked. I nodded. "Since I am technically your son, what would that make me?"

"Absolutely nothing, and you should thank the gods or whatever you want to thank. Men are bodyguards and are treated harshly. No magic is allowed and you, being thinner than a twig, would get your ass kicked more than others who are actually bulky. You would even get some special treatment, and not the good kind, because you're my son. I'll arrange to leave in about three weeks, to get all of you trained."

"What about us?" Dawne asked, referring to herself and the kids.

"You will all be treated like royalty. Basically because Wade is male wolf, and my son, he'll be treated like scum. Since you are a woman and a cat, you will be treated like my sisters. And children are always treated well. I will train you all how to act proper, I'll show you how I act, and I'll teach you all how to fight. I will warn you; the training will be fast-paced, rigorous, and painful. Any other questions?"

"Yes," Michael said. "What will I report?"

"You will report that you have found me, with Dawne and the kids. That I am coming willingly and that I have no plans to do anything to the queendom. That I am bringing guests, and that that is the only way I will willingly come. And tell Milory that he is as good as dead as far as I'm concerned. Tell him to find a spot in a cemetery, or a pot for cremation, and that I said hi."

"I'll tell them all of that, except the parts about Milory. You have yet to give them _all_ the details."

"I know."

"What else do we have to know?" Wade asked.

"You have to know their status among lycans and what the trip will be like."

"Super. Should we sit down?" Dawne asked.

"If you want. My parents sit on the council of lycans. That means that they have a lot of control. They are representatives of all the cat lycans. There is a representative for all types of animals. My parents are not only in charge of the cats, but they are also their punishers. If one cat gets out of line, that cat is sent to my parents to have their punishment judged, and whatever their punishment is, happens in that room. They can't punish me that way since I am next on throne, but they can find creative ways to punish me. Technically, they can't punish Wade at all since he's a wolf. That's where it gets complicated. Wade, you may be taken to the wolves' property because you're a wolf, or you might stay with us since you're my son. Dawne, they can punish you if they want but they won't. They can't punish the kids yet because they are under thirteen. Questions so far?"

"None from me," Wade said.

"Me neither," Dawne said.

"Me!" Kimber said, raising her hand. "Where are we going?"

"We are going to see my mommy and daddy."

"What's a daddy?" Angus asked.

"A daddy is a man who cares about mommies and their children _a lot_. You guys had a daddy but he ran away with the circus and hasn't come back yet. He doesn't know where to find us. Right, Mom?" Kimber said, answering Angus. Dawne nodded.

"Okay, so no more questions?"

Since no one responded, I kept going.

"The trip there will be long and tedious. We have no planes and my family doesn't let anyone except bodyguards drive in and out of their territory. That means that Michael will be driving us. The road gets insanely bumpy and almost painful about halfway there. The drive will be about a week if we have infrequent stops. Since the kids will be there, we will have to have more stops. It will add a couple days to the trip. During that drive, we continue your training. Back to that, I will be training you in combative and defensive magic, the cat version of proper etiquette, the basics of a bunch of different fighting styles, the easiest way to take down an opponent, what little actions mean in the house. Little actions like different stares, and hand gestures. You will learn more, but those are the main things. And before you say anything, Wade, you will not be assisting me in the magic lessons at first. That damn school you go to teaches you magician's tricks. In cat country, magician's tricks are pathetic, especially if that's all you can do. That professor that teaches you forbidden shit is the stuff that beginners learn. Granted, you are very skilled in that area, but not good enough for them to respect you and treat you as any more than a child. You guys have little training by my family's standards. Michael, you happy?"

"Uh," he muttered his list of topics he gave me. "Did you cover Mom, Dad, the government, the trip, their treatment, and the full details of the cats?"

"Yup. Are you guys confused on anything?"

"Yeah. Uh, will the kids be learning the same lessons as we will?" Dawne asked.

"Yes, but I will teach them at a slower, easier level. They won't have as many bruises, headaches, or weird sleep stuff. I may teach them tiring magic, just to help them rest, but that isn't the healthiest thing to do, so when Wade gets bored, he can teach them if he wants."

"Hell yeah!"

"All right. I want them to have a good experience out of this."

"Dawne, you are highly mistaken if you think that the queendom will be a fun field trip, picnic, party, or anything that would make anyone smile. What we did for fun while I was there was laugh at other people's pain. They won't get hurt while they're there, but they probably won't have fun either. I'm really sorry, and you can always so you don't want to go."

"No, it's fine. I was just checking what the kids' experiences would be like."

"They'll be fine but they won't count this trip among their fond memories, or their bad ones. Just memories. I can try to convince the family to entertain them, but don't hold your breath."

"Okay."

"I'm in," Wade said.

"Yay. Are you sure, Dawne? Because once you accept, Michael won't let you back out."

"Really?"

"Michael, have I spoken anything that has come across as not quite true?"

"No. Sorry, Dawne, but that last part is right," he yelled.

"How long do I have to decide? How long will we have to stay?"

"You would be staying for as long as you want. Right, Michael?" I warned him.

"Right," he said tiredly, as if hoping I wouldn't remember that.

"I will have to call work to tell them that I am taking a _long_ vacation, since I think I'll be there awhile. Michael, will they train Wade?"

"I might be able to persuade them."

"Will you make an effort to persuade them?"

"Maybe. If you are both on my good side."  
>"Will you try, or won't you?" Wade said.<br>"Maybe."  
>"Persuade them or I'll have to have Wade keep me from ripping your head off. I can do some pretty awful things to you. There is a reason for my title nickname thing at work and around the area."<br>"And what would that title be?"  
>"The Torturer."<p>

"I see. Have you ever actually tortured someone?"

"What do you think, dumb-shit?"

"When was the last time you tortured someone?"

"Nine years ago. I had three that year, but they were all for information. I didn't do it for fun."

"Yeah, whatever. You weren't capable of torturing anyone at age sixteen."

"Really? Just curious, were you? Were you capable of torturing people at age sixteen?"

"Well yeah, but that's me. I'm different."

"Yeah, different as in weaker than me. Weaker in physical and mental stamina; weaker in everything I am strong in."

"Careful, little girl; I know your weakness. It would be best not to anger me and force me to use your weakness to my benefit."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is merely a warning," he said. His eyes and voice suggested otherwise.

"Go find youself a nice little whore that you can have fun with for the next seven weeks."

"Seven weeks?" Dawne, Wade, and Michael said at the same time.

"Why aren't you leaving for seven weeks?" Michael asked.

"Because I need to train them. Seven weeks is the shortest amount of time without it being unhealthy. With seven weeks, they'll be worn out but they'll be fine. I won't go if I don't get seven weeks, and not a second less. Got it?"

"Fine, but not a millisecond more either."

"Fine. Guys, get some rest. We'll start tomorrow."

"Can I start now," Wade asked.

I stared at him, helpless.

"Fine, but no fighting styles. I'll help you with magic."

"Fine."

"Fair warning; if you're going to whine, you get left behind."

He straightened and broadened his shoulders. "I wasn't whining and I wasn't going to."

"Riight," I said, humoring him. "Let's go; out back. Watch out for any of Michael's teeth."

Wade snickered but said nothing. Smart kid.

I trained him all afternoon, testing how much he knew, how well he could do it, what level of training he'd require. It turned out he was already an eighth-level mage, which was about average for commoners. The levels of magic go from one to a hundred. The highest anyone has been was ninety-seventh level, and only one person was able to handle that much. Wade needed to be at least fifteenth-level in order for him to gain respect. I got him up by about two, maybe three levels tonight.

By the time dusk came, we were both exhausted and he was about tenth level. Wade's shirt was soaked through with his sweat; he looked like he had forgotten to take off his shirt before showering. I felt the sweat coating my back and face but wasn't nearly as sweaty as he was.

We went inside and we all ate. Well, all of us except Michael; he could get his own food, which he did. I would have gone hunting but the nearest forest was three miles away and there was food here. Me and Wade ate about as much as the lions did. I am going to have to get more food tomorrow.

"Okay, family. Tonight, get a good night's sleep and dream of nice things because the person you are looking at and know as a friend or mother will become a cold drill sergeant tomorrow. I will be the person who yells that it's not good enough, that you'd be dead if you do it that way, and when I say jump, you say which way."

"Yes, ma'am," someone muttered.

"I don't want to be called ma'am tomorrow. I want to be called trainer. I will be friendly and warm today, but not so much tomorrow. Got it?"

"Yup," Wade said.

"Yeah, but what about the kids?" Dawne said.

"They will be trained by Michael; I'm sure he knows some sort of fighting style. You will all be rewarded if you do well; if you don't do well, you will practice until you do. I will lay out what we'll be doing the next few weeks and I'll make the last week a reviewing week, where we make sure you all know what I have taught you. We'll be able to pay the bills because Michael _will_ give us the money. I have ways of getting him to cooperate if he doesn't. Questions?"

"Um, why will you be all robot on our asses tomorrow?" Wade asked.

"Because that is how I train the best. If I am too personal, training is softer and not as effective. Eat now, and eat a good breakfast tomorrow. I'll watch Michael tonight," I said more but too quietly for them to hear. I made a to-do list for tonight and tomorrow, but mostly for tonight. Bind Michael's mind so that he can't communicate that way; make to-do list for next seven weeks; pick fighting styles to learn; wait for Michael to get back.

The doorbells jingled as Michael came in.

"Michael. I would like to talk to you. Outside," I said.

"Aww, what'd I do this time? I mean I haven't even been inside for a full thirty seconds and I'm already in trouble."

"No you're not. I just want to talk, and no offense guys, but I want this private and you can all hear me if we talk in here."

"Okay," they all said, except the kids. Michael dragged his feet to the back door and walked out. He didn't make the mistake of holding the door open for me.

9

"What do you want? What is so damn important?"

"Quit whining and don't eat too many of my deer for the next few weeks. I want you to help me train, unless you can't."

"I can do as much as you can, and more."

"Really? You know Krav Maga?"

"Krah what?"

"Krav Maga. It is an Isreali fighting style that has virtually no rules; police are trained in it; it is designed to disarm and neutralize your opponent as quickly and as efficiently as possible with the least amount injuries to you. What level of magic are you?"

"Higher than you," he said.

I kicked him in the stomach.

"Calm down. I am twenty-seventh level. Last I checked, you're what twenty-two?" he said, pain clear and undisguised in his voice.

"Forty-two, thanks. You teach the basics to Dawne and the kids while I train Wade to my level. Do you know any fighting style?"

"Of course I do," he said hotly. "How do you think I was able to kick your ass?"

"I was untrained and six years younger than you. For fifteen-and-under, that is a lot. Answer the damn question before I get impatient. Have you seen what happens to people when I get impatient?"

"No, but I am a black belt in karate, tai kwon do, and tai chi. I am also highly proficient with a sword."

"Good. You can teach the kids. Teach them magic and fighting. Get them as far as you can. And keep Dawne afloat, financially, throughout this whole thing. I haven't told her openly, but I have implied that she'll have to quit her job, at least for now. I know this is asking a lot but that is the only way I'm coming. If you don't cooperate, I know your weakness, and I won't go. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes! Jeez what do you want from me?"

"You should not have asked that because I will answer you, very seriously. I am giving you this one chance: do you want to take that offer back? If you don't I will tell you _exactly_ what I want."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is that your final answer?"

"No, I am not taking back my offer. That is my final answer."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dammit. What the hell do you want?"

"Okay. I want you to give me your word that you will do as I ask."

"No."

"Okay. You asked what I wanted, and I told you. Is that your final answer?"

"Is what my final answer?"

"That you won't give me your word."

"Yes, that is my final answer. I will not give you my word. I don't do that at the drop of a hat, you know."

"Really? How long did it take you to decide whether or not to give that chick your word to bring me home, as long as you help her? What did she need help with anyway?"

"Fine. I'll help you, and as for the girl, she was helping our family. By helping her, I gave my word to help the family with whatever they want me to do."

"Wait. I may know a way to lift that damned curse. That way, you will be free of it all. If you agree to do as I ask. I don't want your word exactly; I want to be able to trust that you will do it. Don't make this a 'Midnight Run' act."

"A what act?"

"You've seen Midnight Run," his face was blank. "The movie, with Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin in it."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You know the scene where the Duke and Jack are in the river and the Duke gets out and says that he'll pull Jack up if he lets him go? Then when Jack gets out, he cuffs the Duke again and says that he'll let him go, into county jail. Don't be Jack."

"Explain how that even compares to our situation."

"Okay, imagine I'm the Duke and you're Jack. I'm pulling you out, saving you after you promised to let me go. You don't let me go when you get back on dry land. With us, I lift your curse and you tell me that you'll do help me. When the curse is lifted, you can't be Jack and say that you'll help me get home. You have to be a new character and actually keep your promise to actually help me. Make sense?"

"Sort of. What happens if I do decide to be Jack?"

"Then you'll be suffering from a lot more than a curse that makes you keep your promises."

"Okay. I know you well enough-"

I laughed at that.

"-That I know you don't make empty threats. Lift the curse and I'll help you, until it comes to lives being endangered."

"You already said that you are putting your neck on the line for me."

"And such appreciation coming from you, I see," he said, pointing at his face.

"Remember, you challenged me. I'm lifting your curse. Be happy about that. If you are a good little boy tonight, then I'll fix your face and the rest of your pain."

"How will you know how I behave tonight?"

"I'm magical." It wasn't a lie. He shrugged.

"When are we doing this?"

"Dawn. After I eat twice my weight in protein. Unless-"

"Unless I'm a bad little boy. Yes, I know."

"Good. Inside now."

He turned around, walked up the stairs, and through the door. I heard a rustling out by the garbage dump. I walked toward it, readying myself for a fight. I threw the lid open and accidentally tore it off and throwing it half-way across the alley. Inside was a big bulky man hiding and listening. This must be one of the people watching Michael.

"What's your name?"

He started speaking Croatian. Badly.

"Engleski ovdje. Ne govore." _English no. Speak no._

I guessed and decided he was trying to say 'I am not from here. I do not speak English.'

"Da dobro sam odavde, ja ne govorim engleski, a ja isto tak govorim hrvatski. Dopustite me da vam kažem: ne govoi svoj jezik jako dobro," I teased him. _Yes well I am from here, I do speak English, and I also speak Croatian. Let me tell you: you don't speak your own language very well._

He looked at me, confused.

"Engleski ovdje. Ne govore. Govori hrvatski." _English here. Do not speak. He speaks Croatian._

"Vi ne govore hrvatski, ali ne jako dobro. Znam da govorim engleski i te bi trebao ispustiti djelovati prije nego što sam naljutiti." _You do speak Croatian, but not very well. I know you speak English and you should drop the act before I get mad_.

"You really need to drop the act because you obviously didn't pay attention in your lessons. I know you don't speak Croatian and I know you speak English. Get up and defend yourself before I take my knife and kill you," I said in English.

He looked at me, disbelieving. I pulled out my knife, aiming for his throat, trying to decide which of the three sure-fire kills to go for; heart, throat, head. Hmm.

"Kat, were you going to come inside any time soon?" Michael called. I heard Wade behind him.

"Michael, do you know this man who failed at speaking Croatian? It makes me sad that he thought I couldn't speak it; I was top of my class and helped beginners after I finished the class. He's a werecat so he should know that. Maybe he doesn't know who I am, but somehow I doubt that, otherwise he wouldn't be hiding in a stinky old dumpster listening to our conversations."

I never looked away from Mr. Dumpster, keeping my eyes fixed on my knife and his hands and eyes. He laid there, daring me to kill him. I pulled out my gun, making as little movement as possible so that my knife would stay in relatively the same spot. Unfortunately, I wasn't carrying my shoulder holster, so it wasn't in it's usual spot; it was in my boot. I have no idea why I put it in my boot, and was very grateful that I haven't shot my foot off yet with as much movement I've made today. I finally got my gun out and aimed it at his left eye. The man began trembling.

"Please. Please, don't hurt me. Please, I have a wife and kids back home. I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill me," he begged. I returned my knife to its place but kept the gun on him. I pulled him out of the dumpster, took him by the hair, and shoved him face first against the wall. His legs were shaking with nervousness, or maybe it was an act. Or maybe I was paranoid, but it came with the job; one had a right to be paranoid after you had bad guys break into your house, trying to kill you.

"Why were you spying on me?"

"Sent here. Get paid lots money," I just noticed the accent in his voice but couldn't tell what it was. Slavic or Bulgarian, maybe? His features fit the bill.

"Who? Who sent you? Who were you supposed to spy on?"

"She punish me greatly if I tell who. I spy on Katherine Madia. You Katherine, right? Or he not say Kat; he say other like Sally or Anna, right?"

"I don't know, Katherine is a common name. Are you sure you have the right person?"

"Yes, yes. What do you want?"

"I want you to go back to your master and tell her that I said hi, and that she can go fuck herself; we all know she loves to. Tell her that I give her permission."

His eyes widened. "No! No! No, I cannot tell her that! She will not like that; she get mad. No one likes when master gets mad. She don't like when she get mad."

"What's your name?"

"Apostol. Apostol Ralista. Please don't hurt me. Please." He was whining now.

"I don't hurt people without reason. Tell your master that I found you and sent you back, and if you didn't go back that I would _persuade_ you to. She won't like that I threatened her spies with that type of persuasion, but whatever."

His eyes widened even further. If they widened more, I thought they might pop out of his head. Then, in falsetto, he said, "You mean torture?"

"Yup, Apostol, I mean torture."

Suddenly, something dawned on him. "You know who my master is, don't you?"

"Yup, and I wish she could be here; I would enjoy myself so much. She wouldn't be too comfortable, but I would love it. I guess they were right when they said I took after her with some things. Will that particular message anger her and make her punish you?"

"What? You want me to _lie_ to my master? I not do! I not do! I always full of truth; I not lie!"

"Okay, calm down. You want to stay here with me?"

He looked pleased, then wiped it off as soon as it crossed his face and replaced it by the fear he was supposed to have. "You give me that? I cannot say yes. I cannot. That too nice."

"You're right, you can't. I saw that look of satisfaction on your face. Drop the act, or I will hurt you. You don't get to leave. You get to stay here, with me, the Torturer. I don't know how much sleep you'll get, or if you'll get sleep. But hey, you shouldn't have signed on with my mother. I will give you one thing, you pretend really well; you almost had me there. Next time you spy on someone, use a language you know; one of the things you said was 'English here. Do not speak. He speaks Croatian.' I had to guess at what you were saying."

"It Slavic Croatian!"

"No it wasn't. I know all variations of Croatian, and that wasn't even close to any of them. What's your real name?"

He tightened his lips and shook his head.

I sighed. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. _Pick_."

He shook his head again, expression unchanged.

"You see that guy's face?" He looked and nodded. "I did that, all because he challenged me. I actually glamoured it. Let me show you what it really looks like."

I muttered the spell, making the spy see something a lot worse than what Michael's face really looked like. I hoped this man had a strong stomach; it now looked bad enough that it took someone with anything but a strong stomach to be able to resist vomiting and I didn't want his puke all over me. The man's face turned green; still holding his hair, I guided his head painfully to the dumpster. He puked. A lot.

"You did that just because he challenged you?" the man said raggedly when he was finally finished.

"Yep. You want to know the best part? He didn't know he challenged me, or that he was warned. He doesn't know how I warn people." I smiled wide, making sure he saw all my teeth, including the canines that I lowered half-way. He shuddered. "You want to give me your name?"

"Peter. Peter Cobblestone," he said frantically.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you know how much I _hate_ dishonesty? I can drive you insane, but I won't. I will drive you so close that you'll wish you were insane, or dead. I have done it before and they were insane when I finally let them go. You don't get another chance; by lying to me again, you choose the hard way. You can be the practice dummy in training, and my refresher when not training."

He swallowed loud enough for a human to hear it from ten feet away. I smiled an evil smile. The man shuddered. I jerked his head back up, opened the hidden door that led to a building meant for homeless people to sleep in, and threw him in; no one uses that building so no one would have a problem.

"I'll be here before dawn every day. You won't know when dawn is; there are no windows. You get food once a week, and you're lucky for it. If you had food or clothes or belongings in that dumpster, you can kiss it all good-bye. Your belongings now consist of the clothes on your back. Next time you're sent to spy on someone, make sure it's not me or any other torturous bitch, if you even get out of here, and you're sane enough to spy on anyone." I slammed the door and locked it. I heard pounding and muffled yells. After wiping my hands on my jeans, I turned around inside.

"Auntie Kat, who was that man?" one of the kids asked.

"A bad man, but don't worry; he's in a time-out now, and he will be for quite some time."

All the kids scrambled back inside.

"Kids, get your pajamas on for bedtime," Dawne hollered.

They all went to their rooms for their pajamas. Five minutes later, Dawne was kissing them all good night.

10

"Kat, I swear if my kids ever hear that man, or you 'punishing' him, I will make your life hell. I do not want any part in this. I will not take my kids to your parents' place. I want out. I want out of this all."

"Going there is your choice and you can still change your mind. You will never truly be out though; my stupid brother changed your genes and made you a werecat. I am truly sorry for that, but there is nothing I can do other than help you control it. If you don't want to come, I will do my best to keep you off my parents' radar, but with Milory there, it will be very hard. The best I can do is find a Loner of another species to bite you all. That has its risks though; it might kill you, drive you insane, or have absolutely no effect. I can get you all turned into a vampire, but the risks are still the same but you will be out of the shapeshifters' world. You have until morning to decide. If I could give you more time, I would but I can't and I am more sorry than you can possibly know. I will kill him for this though, and legally. It sounds like he'll have my parents to back him up, but I will kill him. I have many skills and experience in different things, killing lycans is one of them," I turned to Michael. "Why do they want me home?"

"I told you; they missed you."

"No; I'm not buying it. If they missed me enough to send someone after me, they would have done it years ago and grabbed me right away. They wouldn't have let you watch me for a few years before taking me home. Why do they want me home?"

"I honestly do not know, I really don't. They gave me no instruction to hurry, so I took my time and watched you and tried to figure out what your life was like. As you noticed, I didn't know your job, I didn't know you had a son, I didn't know a lot about you. You want to know why?"

"Not really."

"I got kidnapped, by something stronger than Milory. I don't know what exactly they were, but I was kidnapped and held for information about you," he said, continuing as if I hadn't said a thing.

"Are you taking me home, or are you taking me to the people who tortured you?" I said quietly.

He didn't answer.

"Well? Where are you taking me? If you're taking me anywhere but home, I'm not going. If you want me to go, you'll have to drag me kicking and screaming. I will beat the crap out of you if you take me somewhere I don't want to go."

"I can just subdue you; knock you out, block your magic, keep you drugged."

"So you're not taking me home." It wasn't a question.

"No. The people who took me wanted The Cruel Destiny. They gave a perfect description of you. I asked why they were asking me about this cruel destiny girl, expecting them to say something like I was some random guy they pulled off the street, but they didn't. No, they said that The Cruel Destiny is my sister. I knew it wasn't Namir; she doesn't have your attitude or your stormy eyes that don't really have a set color, and she's not as blunt or stubborn as you. They said they'd give me a hundred million bucks to bring you to them. Is your nickname The Cruel Destiny? Or are you only The Torturer?"

"The Torturer is kind of an old nickname, since I stopped torturing a few years back but some people still know me by it. The answer, though, is yes; I am Cruel Destiny, and I earned my title so you best be careful."

"Curious, how exactly have you earned it?"

"Should I tell him? Does he deserve to know? You ask a lot of questions that you don't have much right to ask. Who were the people who kidnapped you?"

"They never gave their names," he said.

"Tell you what. You give me some helpful info and I'll give you helpful info. We will take turns, after you give your word not to lie."

"If I give my word, you swear a truth oath."

"Fine; only fair that way. You first."

"No. That's too easy for you."

"Fine. Give me your word that you will give me your word to be totally honest after I say my oath of truth."

"Ugh; fine. I give my word that I will give my word to tell only the truth, no lies or twists on the truth; only the truth and nothing misleading. Happy?"

"Very. Now, I swear the oath of truth that I will not lie in any way, shape or form. I will not twist the truth or tell any half-truths. I will not omit information that I know which would be helpful to this situation. This oath ends in twelve hours. There, your turn."

"I give my word that I will not lie in any way, shape or form. I will not twist the truth or tell any half-truths. I will not omit information that I know which would be helpful to this situation. This oath remains until you free me of it," he said, words jerky and forced. He didn't want to say it, but he already gave his word that he would say it so he had no choice.

"Thank you. Now my question is first, then you answer. If the info is helpful, then you get to ask a question. If your info isn't helpful, I ask questions until I get some information that will help, and same goes for you. These people, how many were there?"

"Do you mean the ones who tortured me, the other girls, or both?"

"Wait, other girls? How many were there?"

"Six. Why?"

"Good info, and that counts as your question unless you want to take it back?"

"No, I'm good. Why do you want to know how many there were?"

"A thing that Wade and I are working on."

"Not helpful. What are you and Wade working on?"

"Good job. Wade got involved in something he shouldn't have, which involved six girls who were developing weather altering powers, each girl controls one storm effect. You know, lightning, thunder, rain, snow, wind, and clouds. These girls might be the ones who kidnapped you, although I don't know why."

"You never answered my first question; why do they call you The Cruel Destiny? Do some ever call you The Cruelest Destiny?"

"I will take that as one question, but you have to answer a two-parter like that for me. I am Cruel Destiny because many find that death is your destiny, and I bring around that death. Sometimes I am cruel, as in torture, but that has gotten old. Some see me as cruel because I kill, and yes, I am oftentimes called The Cruelest of Destinies. I am not called Fate or anything like that because of the Fates, who have been known to be angered easily when someone takes their name. So, if I named myself The Fate, I would be dead or wishing to be dead. If someone else named me the Fate, they would be dead or wish to be dead. I have seen meetings where the Fates snatched demons up when they declared to me that I've met my fate, even if it is early. The Fates get angry because they don't want a demon to do their job. If you want to kill me, don't; that particular demon tried to kill me and I was only seventeen. The Fates gave me a symbol of protection that I just have to touch if I need dire protection. If I call on it needlessly, I'll meet the same end as the rest of the people The Fates capture. If I can't handle my attacker, I will have aid, unless the Fates are scared or are being blocked from me. I have only called on them once, and that was a long time ago. Memories I half-wish would go away."

"Nice. So, if I ever try to kill you, I'll go easy on you."

"Good, because if I know that I can't handle you, and that you will do something totally evil to my body, mind, spirit, or soul, I can call on them and they will take you."

"You must have done something for them to do that for you. What was it?"

"Not your turn, but I'll answer that after you answer mine. What did those girls look like? Did they look about sixteen?"

"That's two questions! I am only answering one."

"That was a two-parter question, just like you asked me. Now, answer the question."

"One girl had coppery-blonde hair with green almond-shaped eyes; her name was Lydia. One had dark brown hair with almost black eyes; her name was Thylira. Two had grey-ish hair and the greyest eyes I've ever seen; I think they were twins and their names were Claudia and Whitney. One girl had hair whiter than a polar bear's and hazel eyes; her name was Sofie. The last girl also had really white hair, but she had sparkling blue eyes; her name was Renee. And yeah, they all looked about sixteen. Now, answer my question from earlier."

I glared at him.

"Please," he added hastily.

"You asked what I had done for them? Well, you know that the Fates are three sisters; Nona, the one who spins the thread of life; Decima, the one who measures the thread; and Morta, the one who cuts it. Those are their Roman names. The Greek names are Clotho, the one who spins the thread; Lachesis, the one who measures the thread; and Atropos, the one who cuts it. The sister who cuts the thread was somehow dying. I saved her. The Fates gave me four shots for help, one for each sister, and Atropos gave me an extra. Her sisters disapproved but let her do it all the same. My turn for a question; did they seem to be in charge of themselves, or were they following orders?"

"I'm not entirely sure; I was hardly conscious during my kidnapping."

"Not helpful. Next question; am I going to Ma and Daddy's or did you just make that up?"

"Oh we're going, but we're not staying. Milory is taking you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Not your turn. My question: why'd you take in the kid?"

"I have a name, you know!" Wade interjected, offended.

"Yeah, well it's lame so I'm not calling you by your name. If you don't want me to call you 'kid' give me a nickname."

"I have none."

"How about 'wolf boy' or 'wolf man' or 'snickers' or something?"

"Snickers? Seriously? You want to nickname me after a candy bar? Really?"

"Yup, but it could also be the other kind of snickers. Tell me, do you snicker a lot?"

"What? Got any others?"

"What's you middle name?"

"Guys! Seriously!" I said. "Michael, call him by his name before I give you an unofficial vasectomy without any anesthetics? Do you want me to answer your question or not?"

He paled a little.

"Wade, find something to do. Go hunting or go to bed, but don't just stand there," I said, taking advantage of Michael's temporary silence.

"Yes, I want you to answer my question," Michael said.

"I found him when he was two, abandoned and bleeding all over a street corner while stuck in half-form. I was afraid he'd die, in that condition, in the middle of December. He did more than survive, but he is the best fifteen-year-old wolfmage I have seen in a while."

"You see a lot of wolfmages?" he said dryly.

"Yes, I do and did, actually but it's not your turn. My question: who tortured you?"

"Strange women; there were three of them, I think. At least, there were three at a time but they all looked similar. These girls looked more like in their twenties, maybe early thirties. I was telling the truth when I said they never gave their names, but they all had long, sharp canines, like a vampire's. They weren't vampires though; they were more reptilian. They had slit pupils and forked tongues. They always whispered, so I'm not sure if they hiss when they talk. They definitely have a master; I saw him, but not really. I saw a sort of silhouette even when he stood right in front of me. He had a deep voice and a cloak with a really tall collar. He actually reminded me a lot of Dracula, but they weren't vamps. He might have been, but I don't know because I didn't actually see him, only his silhouette. What?"

I had paled and he saw me. "Nothing. Keep going," I said emptily, and numb.

"No, it's not nothing. Why are you suddenly so pale?"

Wade came running over from whatever he was doing.

"Mama Kat, are you okay?"

"Fine; just need to sit." My voice was still hollow.

"You are not okay. I know when you're lying, and you're lying. What's wrong?" Wade said.

"Same here, little sis. What's up. What do you know?" Michael said sternly.

"I know who that is. I know who they are. We can't go to them, we can't."

"Why? What is so bad about them?" Michael said.

"You said they tortured you? The fact that you are sane and healthy and alive says a lot. They went easy on you; they could have killed you or tortured you worse or driven you insane as easily as counting to three. You should be thanking the heavens for your luck, because you have no idea what they're capable of."

"What's so bad about them? You are obviously haunted by them; why?"

"You don't want to know the horrors that they dish out. You don't want know; in this case, ignorance really is bliss. You can't take me there, you can't go back there. Curious, how bad did they bloody you up?"

"Until I wished I was dead," he said seriously.

"Then they went really easy on you. You aren't saying that with enough conviction, you aren't describing them with enough horror and terror; you don't know what you're dealing with, and you really don't want to."

"I assume you know exactly what I'm dealing with?"

"All too well. They are what the Fates helped me with. Even Morta, or Atropos, couldn't cut their strings early. It wasn't their time, she said." I looked at Michael directly in the eye. "I have nightmares about them; I don't have nightmares, but I have nightmares about them. Don't go back there. You won't come out whole, if you come out at all."

"You get nightmares; you have them all the time," Wade said disbelieving.

"No, she doesn't, Wade. She doesn't get nightmares. The fact that she is having nightmares says a lot about them. How often does you have nightmares, Kat?" He never looked away from my eyes.

I looked away. He directed his voice at Wade.

Seeing my unwillingness to tell, he clamped his mouth shut.

"Why won't anyone tell me anything?" Michael said, his voice a whip of hot rage and a blade of ice at the same time. I was used to it so I didn't break, but Wade did.

"Five, six nights a week." He barely kept the whimper out of his voice.

"Then that is some nasty shit, Kat. Unfortunately, I can't get out of it; I gave my word and they're following me everywhere I go with people and a device attached to my heart and brain. Special, huh?"

"You don't want to know; you would have nightmares just from the implications. Nightmares that would wake you up screaming, nightmares that might make you relive the pain, nightmares that could drive you insane."

"What did they do?"

"You don't want to know," I said through gritted teeth.

"Mama Kat, don't make me wear myself out," Wade said, implying he was going to use magic on me; probably a compulsion spell or something similar.

"You use magic on me, cub, and I'll rip out your throat," I said fiercely. Then, realizing what I said, I corrected myself. "Sorry, I mean use magic on me and you will be tricked into thinking that you're a six-year-old girl for the rest of your possibly short life."

"Jeez, Kat. I don't think you scared him enough."

I bore my eyes into my brother until he squirmed.

"Wade, go to bed or go hunting. If you go hunting, go to bed afterwards," I told him quietly, never breaking my glare at my brother. I was pissed, but Wade took off through the door to go hunting.

"Kat, what happened? I am not taking any other answer than the truth."

"I've been telling you the truth, and if you don't stop asking me, the kids will wonder where you went and where that big red smear on the wall outside came from."

"What big red smear?"

"What big red smear do you think I'm talking about?" I said, my voice low.

"I honestly have no idea."

"Use your imagination," my voice still low.

He gulped, finally grasping what I was talking about.

"I need to know what is so damn bad about them."

"You want nightmares that will give you phantom pains? Phantom, but real at the same time?"

"If that's what it takes for me to understand what kind of shit I'm wading in, then yes."

"Oh, you're not wading anymore, you're drowning; you just don't realize it yet. Are you positive?"

"Wait, how will you tell me?"

"The best way to do it is to show you. I will send my memories into your mind. When Wade gets back, we can all combine our magic to disable the devices without doing any damage to you. I have worked with their machinery so I know how it works and you may be in pain, a lot of pain, but it'll be gone. The pain that you'll experience when we take it out will be welcome when you are faced with them again. I can disable it temporarily, but only for a couple of hours. That should be enough for me to replay my memories. You ready?"

He hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Outside then." We walked outside and I gathered up the energy from my mental reserves. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

11

"Attention: this material is inappropriate for anyone under two thousand. Please have someone who is twenty-five hundred years or older accompany you if you wish to keep your sanity. Viewer discretion so highly advised, it's not funny," I joked.

I touched my hand to his forehead and started up the movie of horrors. It played through that first part of what had seemed like forever at the time while they tortured me for no reason, raped me, beat me, forced me to shift over and over again without rest. Then, they stopped feeding me and beat me whenever they caught me stealing food, even if it was from the rats or crumbs off the ground. It moved on into the knives that were duller than a hair brushed they sometimes cut me with. Those knives took twenty or more strokes just to break the skin, then they tried cutting deeper, down to the bone sometimes. Other knives they used were razor-sharp and were always used to cut vital areas in my limbs; achilles tendon, femoral artery, front of my ankle, all the way down my arms and around my wrists, the bases of my fingers, and more. The last thing they did to me was make a flap out of the skin protecting my vital organs. They sucked on everything there, spilled it all onto the ground, sucked on them some more, and put them all back. None of my pain had anesthesia, otherwise it wouldn't be fun for them. That was when I finally realized that I couldn't possibly take them; I called on the Fates and they helped me. They got me out of there and healed all my injuries. Decima, or Lachsis, offered to remove those memories but her sisters forbade it.

I could only communicate my physical injuries; psychological wounds are much harder to communicate but I was able to communicate some of the serious fear I had. I wish I could communicate the entire experience, but I couldn't. When it was over, I was shaking, covered with cold sweat, unable to see straight.

"I have a much higher respect for you, little sister," Michael said. I looked at him and his eyes were more haunted than mine probably were.

"That wasn't all of it. That was only the physical; I can't communicate the psychological very well," I said, my voice shaky and scared.

"I know, but you were able to give some extreme fear. How old were you?"

"That was only a fraction of the fear I felt; that wasn't extreme. I was seventeen; now you see why you can't go there."

"Did the Fates leave you your scars?"

I was surprised by the question. "Yeah, why?"

"Let me see them."

"I can't possibly show them all, not if you want to see them all tonight. Even if you didn't mind spending the next day or so looking at them all, I wouldn't show them all to you; I will stay relatively decent and I'm assuming you don't want to see all that stuff. You also can't even see some of them with the naked eye, not unless you're me and have seen them."

"No, I don't but let me see some of them, like the ones on you arms and fingers and legs and ankles."

"Fine," I said, removing my shirt and pants and shoes. He whistled at my physique. "Yeah, yeah, your sister's body is awesome, but it's also cold, so hurry up."

"Sorry," he said, grabbing my left arm gingerly, as if it was still wounded.

He looked up and down my arm and traced over scars with his fingers, starting with the bases of my fingers. He hand traveled to my palm, which was neat with a nice burn mark on it, then to the back of my hand which matched my palm. My wrist had a nice pair of bracelets, one from a whip and another from a knife going all the way around it. My forearm had a few long, thin lines that continued up to my shoulders. It also had a bunch of knotted scars crossing the long ones and making squares, all from either really dull knives or messy burns. My collarbone had a lot of knotted scars and long, thin scars. My torso had a nice, neat topless square carved into it. It was a bulky scar and some parts were curvy, other parts were perfectly straight. The square stretched from the bottom of my ribcage to the middle of my hip bones. There were three nice and neat whiplashes between my breasts and three more from a knife. Down my thighs were ten long lines on the front and back, and five on each side. I had X's on the front and back of my knees and more stripes on my calves and shins. Around each ankle were scars identical to the ones on my wrists. My feet had five long scars, all running right over the bones and a burn mark identical to the ones on my palms and the backs of my hands. My toes were identical to my fingers.

When he looked up at me, my neck caught his attention. It matched my wrists and ankles, just with more. There were numerous slits too shallow to do any damage, some tick-tack-toe games were played on my neck. I turned around, showing my back. Numerous scars ran up and down it; whiplashes. One big one connected with one of my 'necklace' scars and ran all the way along my spin and down to my butt crack. More games of tick-tack-toe were played here, some formed with the whip, some with a knife.

"Holy shit. These weren't in the memories!"

"If I played them all, we'd be here for hours, you would be screaming in pain and so would I. I abbreviated the memories to spare the pain of all the scars. There are many more on my no-no areas, and others that are nearly invisible. I was raped, starved, strangled, drowned, taunted, beat, and more. It is not only a wonder that I'm alive, but that I'm still sane. That was when I stopped torturing people, because I knew what it felt like, although I never treated people that badly. You know what they said though? They said that they were going easy on me. You got insanely lucky that they let you off the hook without them doing much to you. I thought that there was a better chance of me sprouting wings and flying to Pluto and back, than them doing something like what they did for you," then I thought for a moment. "Let me see inside your head."

"Okay," he said, thrusting his mind at me. I sifted through his memories like paper until I found the right one. It showed him in that same basement I was in, with that same silhouette of the man who haunts my dreams. In his memories, the women tormented him and the man left him alone. I saw blood stains on the walls. When I arrived, those walls were relatively clean. When I was there, some of the girls were discussing how the blood from the last one wasn't scrubbed off entirely, but it was almost gone. The blood I saw was familiar-looking; the shapes were shapes I'd seen before; they were all so familiar because it was my blood. I chuckled quietly to myself.

"What's so funny?" Michael asked when he got his mind back from my inspection.

"The blood you saw all over the walls? That was mine. When I got there, the girls were complaining about how not all the blood was gone. I know that they had more people tortured, yet I only see my blood. There was almost no blood when I came in, but there was a lot when I was dragged out. I'm guessing that they scrubbed the place down as hard as they could but they still couldn't get it all out. The man, in your memories, he haunts my dreams. The women taunted me but the man and his mistress were the ones who tortured me. In your memories, the women tortured you and the man just watched. Did you see his mistress?"

"No; I didn't know he had one. What are those creatures?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "I don't know, but they are evil. They are worse than the devil; the Fates told me that. They said that not even the devil would torture without reason, like they did. Do you still want to go back, considering most of that blood you saw all over the walls and floor was mine? If you really want to go back, Dawne and the kids aren't going, but I am still going to give them all the basics of fighting. I have full veto over where Wade goes. He gets to learn magic and fighting, to as much as I can teach him. What are you going to insist on?"

"I don't want to go back, but they have my blood, so I have to," he said carefully.

"You gave them your blood? You are such an idiot! Why would you give them your blood?"

"I didn't give it to them. They took it."

"Then it won't work. If stealing blood could work with magic, I would be dead now and the world would be a different place. You have to give the blood freely, without any obligations or bribes. If it is stolen or it is a price to pay, then it won't work."

"What do you mean by a price to pay?"

"If they want you to give your blood in exchange for money or a life or something like that, it won't work. You may offer your blood in service to someone and it will work, if you are going into that service by choice and a requirement for that service is your blood. If someone takes your blood and then you say it was okay, it still won't work because they took the blood without you knowing, so it counts as stealing it. Same goes for if they start to bleed you; they start without your permission and you catch them and say it's okay, it still doesn't count because they started to bleed you without you knowing. These rules aren't well-known but I'm a mercenary and an ex-torturer and ex-princess, so I know quite a bit about rules of magic and about monsters. Question is: did you give up your blood willingly, without exchanging something for it?"

"Does my freedom count? They said that I had to stay there until I gave them my blood willingly. They threw a knife and a bowl down at me and I gave a lot of my blood to them. Right before I left, the man said 'Now I have power over you boy. You should not have given me your blood; I can make it boil!' Then, he put my blood on an oven an boiled the blood. I felt my blood boil."

"That was a psychological thing. You gave your blood in exchange for your freedom, meaning you bought your freedom with blood. It doesn't work now. He made it feel like your blood was boiling, but it wasn't. You have to pick; are we staying here, are we going to Ma and Daddy, or are you dragging me to _them_?"

"I never thought one human could ever do that to another. When you tortured, did you do those things, or anything like that?" he said, totally ignoring my question.

Instead of looking away, like I wanted to, I looked him straight in the eye. "I never torture without reason and I never go that far. I carefully track them down and I hold them for only as long as necessary. I never drown or strangle or bleed really bad or make scars just because it's fun. I usually beat the crap out of them until they give it up, but if they don't I start with the fingernail procedure, then some psychological shit. It got real bad a couple times. I stopped a while ago; that guy in the homeless building is only meant to be scared. It's a warning to not mess with me. I'll keep his food away from him for a few days, then I'll let him go and look perfectly menacing when I do it. I'll make sure he finds some money or food or something on his way out. It's a plus for us; he gets a horror story to tell and I get to piss off my mother and look mean."

"Why didn't you shift while you were being tortured? You could have torn through them all and left."

"They drugged me, and they aren't human. That is how they could do that shit to other humans. They are some sort of monster that have a humanoid shape, but they're not human."

"How long were you there?"

"It felt like months, but I think it was eight days. Maybe a few more; I don't remember."

"Had you found Wade yet?"

My eyes watered a little but I kept my gaze on his eyes. I forgot I left out his screams. "Yeah. They took him from me. I heard him screaming more than I heard my own. That might have been because I refused to let them hear me scream for a while, and I held on for him. The day he stopped screaming was the day I begged; I begged for them to let me go, to let me bury his body, for them to give me that much. They said no; I screamed for the Fates when they beat me more. I didn't hear him scream again and to this day, I'm not sure if he was given mercy or what but I am thankful that he's alive. I have never told him he was ever in that much pain, and I know he's got a right to know, but I can't tell him," my voice started to waver and break a little.

Michael put his hand on mine. "You want me to tell him?"

"No. No, I have to look strong and I know that sounds stupid and immature, but it's true. I have to look strong and be strong for him and for Dawne and her cubs."

"You can't always be strong; it's not possible. Even the toughest rock has a crack in it."

"Marble doesn't. Marble is strong and tall and hard and beautiful."

"But even marble breaks; bang on it enough times with something hard enough with enough force, and it will break. You would be lucky if it only cracked. Since it's marble, it would probably break down entirely. Let me tell him. You can be there if you want, looking the most powerful, but let me tell him. You said so yourself; he's got a right to know and you can't bring yourself to tell him. I get why it's so hard to tell him and so easy to keep it from him, but let me tell him."

"How about a compromise; I try to tell him, but if I can't, you do it."

"Fine, you stubborn woman."

"The most stubborn one you'll ever meet," I said proudly. "Remember, I didn't break when they tortured me; it made me stronger. Everything bad that has happened to me has made me stronger and smarter. I honestly like the bad things sometimes because you learn and are cautious; when good things happen, you get lazy and enchanted with the goodness and you get dead, just like that." I snapped my fingers.

"Why was Wade screaming?"

"If you look at his back, you see a lot of scars. Scars from whips, long slashes from a knife, small nicks and gouges from a knife, stabs and scratches from rusty nails, all sorts of marks from fingernails and toenails, and so much more. When he asked me where they came from, I told him he had them when I found him but I could tell his gut was telling him that I was lying because he didn't seem to believe me entirely."

The bells on the front door jingled.

"He's here," Michael said.

We went back inside and asked him to stick around for a while; he seemed almost excited to stay.

"Wade, do you want to know who those people were?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"The best way I can do it is to show you through a mind link. Are you sure? It's pretty gruesome."

"Okay. I'm ready."

"Tonight, you will find out I lied to you about one thing. Tonight, you will have your own memories uncovered, so be ready. The memories you'll have will be awful, so are you absolutely positive that you want to see this?"

"No, but now that you have told me about it, I can't help but say yes. Do it."

I touched his forehead and showed him what I showed Michael. This time, I was sure to include Wade's screams in it. By the time it was over, my knees were weak and I was leaning on Michael. I was once again coated in cold sweat and was trembling all over.

"Who was that baby? The one screaming, who was that?" His voice was shaky and cracked.

I tried to talk but my voice left me. I looked at Michael, silently telling him that my voice ran away, that he would have to tell Wade.

"That was you, when you were much younger. I didn't hear the screams because Kat accidentally blocked them from me. She made a conscious decision to show you those screams."

"Mama Kat?" Wade looked at me, voice broken and cracked and full of disbelief.

"Yeah, Wade. That was you; that was the lie."

"I don't understand? What lie?"

"Those scars on your back, they weren't there when I found you; those are from whips and knives and nails and fingernails. You were bleeding when I found you though. I am sorry I kept this from you; I thought it was best for you to not know. It was definitely easier for me to not bring it up. I'm going to uncover your memories from that time, so it might be a little clearer."

I took a deep breath and put a shaky hand on his forehead again. I took the blanket off the memories I covered so many years ago. I took my hand away and he shook uncontrollably with a ghostly horror in his eyes.

"What did you do to him?" Michael asked curiously.

"I unlocked his memories. He'll be in that state until he experiences them all."

"What is wrong with him?"

"He's experiencing some very traumatic memories. Right now, it's kinda like the lights are on, someone is home, but no one is answering. All those years ago, the Fates wouldn't let me erase his memories but they would let me blanket them. They only agreed to let me do it if I uncovered them when he was older. I had to argue my butt off for that, but they can be merciful and they didn't want to ruin a child's mind. If he kept those memories unmasked, he would most likely be totally insane by now. I hope his mental health isn't effected by this, or his abilities as a budding Master Mage."

"Wait, Master Mage? You never said anything about him being a Master Mage. Do you know how rare they are, especially in wolves?"

"No, I had no idea; I actually thought that being a Master Mage was the most common thing in the universe, and that they were most numerous among the wolves." The statement was thick with sarcasm.

"Okay, okay, okay I get it, but how do you know; I mean, sometimes people have to wait decades before they are a master anything. The fact that he'll most likely be at the very least a lesser alpha is impressive enough; I gathered that one myself. How can you be so sure that he will be a Master Mage? They are the rarest of masters, especially among wolves. Did you ever figure out why? I remember that you really liked to study lycanthropes as a whole, as much as you could find out. Did you find anything?"

"You ask a lot of questions, but I'll answer as many as I can. You are right in that people usually have to wait a long time to come in Master powers, if at all. I agree that he will be at least a level two alpha, although I may be able to raise him up higher and more dominant but you know that there is a certain point of dominance people can have, much like the power of masters. I am not entirely sure that he will be a Master Mage, but chances are that he is. I was able to up his power levels by two or three, all in about one night. He had sweat dripping from his shirt and pants but I prodded him, pushing him out of his immediate comfort zone. He is used to magicians' tricks because that's what that damn school teaches him, but I know what his comfort zone is, which is why he was only level eight. He is now level ten or eleven, all from one night. I know the answer for the wolves thing, but do you still want it answered?"

"If it's not awful, and I doubt it is, then I stick to my usual policy; don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to. Why is it that even being a mage at all is rare among the wolves?"

"Wolves are pack animals, therefor there tend to be a lot of them. They aren't an endangered species by any stretch of the imagination; wolf lycans actually have the largest population among us. I found that the higher the population, the lower the magic and extra powers and the lower the population, the higher the extra powers. I think it has something to do with the survival thing; sheer numbers is powerful, but when you are lacking in numbers, you need something else, something more. That something more is why the weakest of us have a higher chance of having some sort of power. However, there have to be weak people, otherwise we would be full of dominants and equals but no submissives. The amount of our people who gain magic are balanced with the dominants, sheer numbers and size, and the amount of submissives; if there is larger ratio of submissives than dominants, more dominants will be made, and vice versa. One way to make more dominants is to give them master powers. I think that Wade got them because his parents were probably very submissive, very scared lone wolves who ran. There were two and a half people in the family and two of them were submissive, which means-"

"The third had to be dominant to balance out the power," Michael finished for me.

"Exactly. There are other theories, but that is mine. One is genetics, no need to explain that one; another is the cosmos and everyone's place in life; another is karma; and many more. Anything else?"

Wade screamed a throaty scream of pain, terror, and shock.

Dawne came running down the stairs, with the little ones sleepily making their way towards us.

"What's wrong?" She sounded frantic.

"Nothing I can't handle, Dawne, but something that only I can handle; it's my magic and only I can do anything about it."

"What did you do to him?" Now she sounded horrified.

"I kept a promise and showed him necessary information. He is experiencing memories that I had blocked years ago. He is experiencing them as if he were there. Wade will hopefully be out of this soon enough, but I can't know for sure; I can't see inside his head right now and it was his experience." I added softly, "Which was frighteningly similar to mine."

"What was that last part?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Go back to bed please. I'll block sound from reaching you guys, but you can still holler to me if you want. That's the best I can do."

Dawne yawned and nodded at the same time, giving me a half-hearted thumbs up, saying she was okay with it all but was too tired to talk. She turned around and shooed her kids back to bed.

I turned back to Wade and found Michael making soft, gentle circles on his hand and back. I pulled his hand from Wade's back; that was where the scars and pain were. He seemed to understand because he nodded. Wade continued to scream but it was now more out of pain than anything else. I'm sure he felt the terror still, but I'm pretty sure the shock was close to non-existent. I knelt down and started circling on his neck and made soothing noises; between me and Michael, we brought him down from screams to soft whimpers. I could tell when it got really bad because he yelped or yipped or cried out, but he had family here, calming him.

12

When Wade finally came out of it, it was well after noon; Dawne and the kids went to the local park, bringing meat along with them so that they wouldn't get murderously hungry.

"Mama Kat? Where am I?" Wade said groggily.

"Hon, you're here at Dawne's house. Do you know who Dawne is?"

He shook his head.

"Can I touch your head?"

He seemed to think about it, then nodded.

I touched his forehead, sending brief bits and pieces of his life, hoping that those pieces would jog his memory. I didn't invoke any of his old memories this time. When I was done, he looked up at me and at Michael, with a new light in his eyes.

"Michael, right? You are Mama Kat's brother. You spied on us, then lied to us, then told us the truth, then lied to us. What is the truth, Michael?"

"Wow. Kat, he must get this bluntness from you. The absolute truth; I was at one point sent out to get you, Kat. I got captured by those things and they told me to bring you to them. I said I would, just so that I could get out of there. They knew I would so they sent people out to tail me. If I didn't go, they would drag me back kicking and screaming, then torture me a hundred times worse. You said they were going easy on me, Kat; at first I didn't believe you, but now I do. What did you do to them to make them torture you and him?"

"That makes sense. Where does Milory come into play on this?"

"What I told you about him and them would be the truth if I didn't get captured. I told you the first truth, abandoned that truth, then told you the most recent one. My question still stands; what did you do the them to make them torture you and him so harshly?"

"Why did you lie?" I said, still ignoring his question.

"Promise me to answer my question after I answer yours. I know you never break your word; promise me."

"Fine, I promise that I will answer your damn question after you answer mine."

"Thank you. I lied because they told me to do what I could to keep you from knowing anything about my real reason. Your turn."

"Thanks. I did nothing at first, they were bored and like my build and looks, found it was the Master's favorite. They let me go, swearing that I wouldn't have a child that wasn't his and if he did get me pregnant, I had to bring him the baby. I didn't get pregnant, but I did find Wade. They saw me with a small child and thought it was the Master's baby and I hid it from them, breaking my word to them. I told them it wasn't his, that it wasn't even mine, that I found it on a street corner. They didn't believe me, until they noticed that I was saying the same story over and over again and didn't mess up on anything. They got a blood test from me, Wade, and the Master. None of us liked it. The Master found it insulting that he had to give his own blood for a worthless wretch and an even more worthless babe. He hated us both, but noticed we were hard to kill. That made him bring us more and more pain, to find our pain tolerances. They found it wasn't mine, or his and they let us go. Before that, though, they cut me open and took my ovaries, then castrated Wade, no anesthesia or even a sterile environment. I fought back on them as much as I could; I kneed the Master in his special area, and all his flunkies whenever they got too close, I punched and kicked when they were close enough, I learned how to make a weapon of almost everything and fought them with it. My will never broke, but I lost my dignity; I begged and pleaded to let Wade go, to let me go. I begged for food and clothes and a blanket, if not for me, then for Wade."

"Wow. I really didn't want to take you back when I agreed to it, but you were my ticket out. I'm sorry."

"They know me as Nicki. I told them that so they wouldn't be able to find me if they came looking, but I was young and didn't realize that if they wanted me, they would get me. They aren't human, and won't go by human standards or human methods of finding people."

"Mama Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we really going back there?"

"Yeah, we're really going back there. Remember, though; my name is Nicki Jadelle, and Wade, you are Matthew Sangson. Michael, did you give yourself an alias?"

"No, and I said your name. Shit!" He said the last part with a lot of anger and frustration.

"Damn it! Oh well, Wade, you're still Matthew Sangson."

"I'm sorry; I didn't know you had seen them before me. I had no idea what they were capable of."

"They told me that since I was young, and since I was but a girl, they were going easy on me. I don't want to go back, just to have all that happen again but worse. Wade will get bad treatment because he's a strapping young lad; I'll get treated the worst because I lied and am a woman now and can fight back. I'll be nothing but a skeleton when, no if, I get out of their, and Wade will be close. What have you done, Michael?"

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, and that will do us how much good exactly? Nothing! They'll see sympathy and 'I'm sorry' and pity as a weakness. You will have a stronger chance of surviving if you show them you're strong; they'll respect you more. The more pain you take without crying out, the harder they'll be on you. If you take a day's worth of pain without crying out, they said, then they'll have great respect for you, that even some of their men wouldn't be able to go an hour without crying out or whimpering. I did my best, but I couldn't. They told me that I was worse than their weakest. Then, they brought their weakest out; a man and a woman. The woman's breasts were literally in shreds and you could see most of their spines. They were punished for being so weak; I don't see their logic, but I knew better than to say that. Each time I cried out, they would hurt me, but hurt them worse. I did my best to keep quiet, but they hit the wounds that were already raw; I lasted an hour and a half, which was how long the man and woman had to be with me. They brought them out for an hour and a half each day until a week after that blood test."

I still remembered the Master.

_"Girl, you don't know what pain is. You will though, you will know what our weakest look like. You may impress me if you can last longer than they do," the Master said. He turned his head, "Bring them in."_

_A man came in, holding two huge bullwhips, dripping in oil. A metal door clanged open and two things flew out, flailing to the ground. The things were writhing and twisting and flopping on the ground, and I only realized that they were human-ish when they got to their hands and feet and looked me in the eye. I shuddered in horror._

_"Yes, Girl. They are weak, and the weak must be punished; it makes them stronger," the Master said. He waited for a few seconds, seeming to expect something. "What? No smart-ass remark? No 'you're an awful being and deserve to burn and rot in Hell for all of eternity'?"_

_"You do, but I've said that all before. I didn't want to waste my breath saying it again," I turned my head to the man holding the whips. "What? Cat got your tongue?"_

_He looked confused._

_"Do you speak?" He still looked confused. I waved my arms around then signed what little sign language I knew. He didn't respond. "Do you speak English?"_

_"Unfortunately for you and other people who like conversation, he cannot speak or hear. The only reason we keep him is because we pity him, he has a strong arm, he follows orders, and," the Master looked me directly in the eyes, "He doesn't mouth off to anyone."_

_"Ah, I see. What are you going to do with those whips? Are you going to whip both of them, and make me watch?"_

_"Close. We are going to whip you, and every time you cry out, they will be whipped ten times. If you look like you are pitying them, you will both be whipped. Do you understand the rules?"_

_"Yeah, you being the crazy bastard that you are will whip us all senseless and I have to watch people be whipped worse than me. What is this supposed to teach me?"_

_"You would be wise to keep your comments to yourself, if you want to keep those things from more pain. To answer your question, you will learn to be stronger and not cry out. You will be whipped for ninety minutes," he turned to the man and held out his hand. The deaf man handed the Master a whip. "You will count each time you are whipped, starting now."_

_He whipped me for the ninety minutes, true to his word, as always. It was two extra whips for me if I whimpered, and five extra for them. I whimpered five times, cried out twice, and was given seventy lashes. It was five extra for me when I cried out and ten extra for them. They also got one extra when I missed a number, and one every ten. They got fifty-six lashes._

I jerked out of my memory and found Wade and Michael shaking me by the shoulders.

"Guys, calm down. Why were you shaking me so hard?" I asked.

They stopped.

"You weren't responding to anything I was saying, to what either of us was saying," Wade said.

"Sorry; got caught up in an unwanted memory. You guys need to act tough when we go in there. Wade, work on shifting back and forth as fast as possible, resting as little as possible in between. Michael, I'm upping your magic levels. Then we sleep, or at least I do. After that, we reverse it all; Michael, you work on shifting and Wade, you learn magic. I am going to try to teach you both to fight faster than the eye can see, raise your levels a little bit, and teach you how to deal with these people. Ready?"

They both looked at me like I was crazy.

"What?"

"You just got pulled into a memory that randomly came flying into your head, Wade just came out of traumatic memories, and I-"

"You what? You what, Michael? What plight are you enduring right now? I taught myself to deal with stress by busying myself with something; I get a lot done that way. I tried to teach Wade, but it's been hard since he doesn't have a whole lot of stress to calm, that I know of. My method is better than my old one, Michael."

He nodded.

"What was your old method of dealing with stress, Mama Kat?"

"Punch any and everything in her way. She used to go into a rage like a tornado, destroying everything in her wake. She burst our thickest punching bag one time. She also punched a hole through metal. You do _not_ want to be on her really bad side, Wade. Frankly, I don't believe that part of her has died, at all; I believe that she just has it caged but it's waited for the keys to come closer. When those keys come, she might be totally out of control. Kat, you actually have a choice to either unlock the cage yourself, or have it unlocked for you. I suggest you unlock it yourself when you need to because if it unlocks itself, you may never get it caged again."

"I may never get it caged if I let it out. I have found a way to get my stress out of the way, and so far it's been working."

"All right, but it won't be so bad if you let it out right before we fight them. I think when you get stressed, you make yourself busy and just put it away in a box. Soon enough, that box is going to explode all over the place. Empty it out and you'll be fine."

"Okay, Mr. Therapist, first it's a caged thing waiting for keys to drop, and now it's a box being filled? What happens if I can't control it? What happens if my stress rides me instead of the other way around? I love too many people to go crazy on them. I'll hurt someone if I let it all out, and I don't know how long I'll keep hurting them."

"Good. I think I have a plan; Michael turns you over to these things, then you let out your stress and kill them all."

I looked up at him.

"Wade, are you seriously telling us to just give me to them? You have your memories; you know what they were like, and they weren't just torturous sickos, they take their weakest and make them whipping slaves and punish them for their weakness. You didn't see it; I did and it was awful. Do you really want to turn me over to them?"

"No, but I don't see any other way. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you're sorry too? I thought I raised you better, but apparently not."

"Come on, Kat. We are going there already, and we're bound to get captured. How long have you put your stress away? You mellowed out when you were about fourteen, which means that box is eleven years old and full. You train us as best as you can, then we give you to them. You are a ticking time bomb and your time is probably almost up. We spend a week, at most, here and then we go. Please, Kat. You can get back at them."

I knew my eyes held a murderous rage, and I looked them both in the eye, watching their faces wrinkle with fear of any temper from me.

"I _hate_ you both right now," I told them, disgusted. I don't know if I really truly meant it, and from their faces, they didn't know either. "But I'll train you. I'll go through with the plan, but you'll both pay for this later. After my body finishes healing, you will both pay dearly."

"But you're not injured," Wade protested, confused.

"She means after we hand her over; she'll be very injured by the time she gets out, and I have no doubt about the 'when'. I know that no 'if's should be there, other than I wonder if we'll survive her rage afterwards. As they say, Hell hath no fury like a woman's wrath. Let's go, boy. You got some shifting to practice, and I got some magic to learn."

I stared at them, disbelieving and pissed off.

"Mama Kat, you won't punish us while teaching us, will you?"

"No, but I'll be harsher than a drill sergeant from Hell," I smiled. It was not a happy smile; more like a psycho-killer smile. Wade shrunk behind Michael.

"Fine, considering that what we'll be learning only might be enough, we need someone harsh," Michael said, staring me down. He was used to the look, but not this extreme.

I nodded and pointed them both to the alley. I sent Wade to one part, and moved Michael to another. I ripped out Wade's beast the moment he got on all-fours. He looked at me.

"That's how fast I want you to be able to shift by midnight tonight."

He nodded. I ripped him back to human form. He collapsed to the ground. I sent my magic to him, sending little shocks throughout his body for about a second.

"You can't afford to collapse. Work on being fast on all areas; shifting, speed and agility after shifting, and recovery time."

"Can you do that?" he breathed.

"Yes," I said simply, then turned to Michael. "Defend yourself!"

I started out easy, sending shocks that felt like electric bugs crawling all over the skin. He suppressed it and sent me flying up and back. I turned in the air, used gravity to aim back down to him, slamming my own body into his. He fell and acted as a pillow to me, while I fought on top of him, physically and magically.

"Holy shit, girl. Go easy on me."

"Hell no. If you wanted easy, you shouldn't have left home to follow me. You are handing me over to them and this is how they're going to fight. They won't go easy on you; in fact, they might do their very best to kill you, and you had better hope they don't. Ready? Good," I said, not giving him any time to answer. I attacked him again and again and again.

He finally landed a blow on me, but I ignored it and kept at it. Every he fought me, I used it against him. He was getting the magic down okay, but I kept forcing him to block my own magic and not giving him any chance to use his own.

When he was _finally_ able to use his magic as much as I could use mine, and hit and block many hits, I was satisfied.

"Done with that, for now. Now is time for magic."

His face fell. "What? I thought that's what we were just doing."

"Nope, I was simulating a real fight in the real world. They are much better than me. Now, we are raising your magic levels some more; that fight upped your levels by at least one. Let out all your power."

He did, but something was missing.

"You're holding back. Don't hold back."

"How can you tell if I'm holding back or not?"

"Something's missing. I've felt it when people hold back some of their power, trying to make themselves seem less intimidating or powerful than they really are. You aren't more powerful than me; let it all out."

He let the rest of his power out. It was beautiful and warm and sharp. It reminded me of knives; I find knives comforting. Why do I find them comforting? Same reason police officers find their guns comforting; they have saved my life too many times to count. If life-savers aren't comforting, I don't know what is.

However, the level of power was a little less than what I expected; he was now level twenty-eight or twenty-nine, but _maybe_ level thirty. I let myself bask in it for a little longer.

"Do some magic; nothing to harm me or Wade, but something. I want to get your exact level."

He made a fire ball and threw it at the opposite building, made of brick. It burned out and died against the old brick, but I got his power level.

"Congrats, you leveled up to level twenty-eight," I said dryly.

His power didn't really die or fade, but it got colder.

"What's wrong? I leveled up; that's a good thing, not something to be disappointed about."

"I just expected higher; you're a much faster learner than Wade and it felt like you gained at least two level during the fight."

"Well, bring it on, magic lady." He reached out and stroked my hair. "My little kitty, you've gotten so big, so jaded, but your hair is still the same. The same rough black and white. Everyone was so shocked when you didn't come out of the birthing room with a not-very-full head of orange or black hair. You came out of there with long black and white striped hair. When your hair was finally dry, it drooped down in front of your eyes, but your sister had short black hair with a few white striped. It's gotten so rough. You were so different, even at a few hours old. When did you get so rough? So jaded? When did you get so angry?"

"I lived in that house, Michael. You said it yourself, I have always been different, always the odd one in the family. Ma and Daddy expected me to be either just like the rest of the girls, or just like Namir. Ma never liked me much and I have no idea why. Daddy loved me whenever Ma wasn't looking. Everyone around us picked on me about my hair, my nose, my cheeks, everything. I had to learn to fight, physically and magically to make them shut up. I bloodied a few, drove a few partially and temporarily crazy, killed one on accident and was skilled enough to make others think I did it on purpose, but make it look like no one was responsible at the same time. Ma and Daddy found out and got me a special guard, not to guard me from others, but to guard others from me. They knew I could take out the guard, as I proved a few times, but they did it anyway. I never killed anyone else while I was staying there. Let's go."

"You got jaded when you saw the real world?"

"Kind of, but it started when I had to make my point. I saw that the world isn't all happy rainbows and unicorns. I knew that already, but I saw it, experienced it. I made my point with magic and violence, and killed someone in the process. I defeated Ma's guards and sent them away, only to have another one. I accepted that I would be guarded, but made a plan to run away. I did that, went job-searching, found Hellhole's and they were practically tripping over their own feet to get me with them. They were hurting for employees and money and I fit the bill of a great fighter. They saw what I could do and hired me right away. I saw some of the things that people and monsters are capable of doing to each other. The only strong emotion I hold is anger. Now, let's go!"

"What do I do?"

"Show me your best combat spell. Aim it at the wall. Make it as strong as you can and hold it till you drop," I thought about that. "Wait! I gotta let that guy out."

I ran over and told the guy to get the hell out before I kick his ass to China. He ran. I turned around and waved my hands at Michael to start the spell.

"What are we working on?" he said, getting ready. "Speed, skill, or stamina?"

"All of them," I said simply.

He looked at me.

"I can teach you; I'm a good teacher and can learn fast and well when you want to. Now, do as your told; the combat spell needs to be skilled, quickly made, and maintained for as long as possible. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!"

I turned around and checked on Wade.

"Hey, what about me?" Michael called after me.

"I can feel the spell; I have a natural ability for sensing magic. I'll know what type of combat you're doing, how long it is, and how good it is; that's all I want because it's you who really needs to learn, not me. I'm level forty-two and will probably get higher, but you're not even level thirty yet."

"Whatever, I'm considered skilled back home."

"Well, you're not back at home, now are you?"

He scowled and started the spell; a power-cutting spell. Not down and dirty like mine, but polite and fierce and effective. Wade was in wolfform and his eyes panicked when he saw me; when I saw it, I rolled back on my heels, debating if I should rip it away or let him change. Three, two, one. I ripped it.

"Faster, faster, faster. When someone comes up to you, growl immediately, even if it's me. You don't know if it's someone who smells like me, or if it's really me. You need to learn speed and dominance. You will never win a fight if you don't know speed, efficiency, and dom-in-ance! Now, shift for me, then shift back. Rules are ten seconds each time I say to shift. Shift."

He started and I counted in my head. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, and he's done. I felt Michael's spell die; it felt kinda weak.

"Cutting it close; I got down to three. How aware are you? On a scale of one to ten; one being practically asleep, ten being hyper off Mountain Dew."

He barked four times.

"Not good enough. Shift." _Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, dammit_, and I ripped him the rest of the way.

"Keep working on it; pick either speed or awareness to work on first, then do the next, then do them both."

I stalked towards Michael, who was folded over, panting as if he had just gone sprinting.

"You were able to hold a power-cutting spell for thirty seconds? Unbelievable, you need to get better. I could have taken that thing and folded it up like a handkerchief. Do you want to know what that feels like? My tutor did it to dozens of times, which is saying a lot since I was only with him twice a week for two months. Start a spell."

"Are you gonna rip it?"

"If I want to, yeah. Do the spell and take your chances. Be warned though, I will rip your spells at least five times in the next hour; you will have to learn how to guard it, then you learn how to do it yourself. Go, now!"

He started making another classy, eloquent, polite spell. I sighed to myself, in my head. We'd work on concentration later. He could hold his shocky-bug-crawling spell for forty-five seconds, before I got tired of how weak it was; I ripped the spell. He doubled over, with double the sweat he had only moments ago.

"Are you going to warn me when you rip my spells? Do you have reason to?"

"Why should I warn or baby you in any way, shape, or form? The bad guys won't, the real world won't, so I sure as hell won't either. This time, my reason was that I got bored; it was too damn week, but I don't have to have a reason. A reason could also be that I felt like it. Now, do a spell; I swear I won't rip it but I want to see how long you can hold a spell."

He sighed, got a glare from me, and started a force field dome thing. He held it for about a minute and a half, then collapsed to the ground.

"Come on, up you go. Shirt off, shoes and socks off, freak hat off. Pants and bandanas are the only things that stay on. Sit; I'll be right back."

I walked over to my wolf man.

"How ya doing, kid?"

He shrugged. "You gonna rip me or time me or something?"

"No; I'm going to ask you questions."

"Shoot."

"Why are you holding back? I know you're better, at shifting and at magic. You could easily be level fifteen or twenty if you would stop holding back."

He picked his head up to look me straight in the eyes; his eyes were so tired, and nearly jaded. I sighed.

"Why are you holding back, Kat? You are so much more powerful than this, but you aren't showing it. Why?"

"I asked you first. I promise that if you answer honestly, I will answer you just as honestly."

"Okay. I'm scared to let go; I'm scared of how much power I have. I also watched you before you sent me to school and I think I kind of self-consciously noticed that you held back. I have watched you again now, and see that you are really holding back a lot of power. I learned and copied almost everything I know, from you. I hold back because I'm scared and because I don't really know how to let go."

I smiled. "I'm scared of how much power I have too, but I know that I will hurt people badly if I lose it. I am scared that I will kill someone, or that I'll lose myself in my own power, sort of drown myself in it. It is part of the reason I won't let my anger out; strong emotions are attached to magic and all metaphysical and preternatural crap. I don't know why, it just is. When I let my anger out of the box, I don't know who would have more control, me or my rage. I hurt those that hurt me or friends. Milory will pay for what he did; those reptilian things will pay for what they did and are still doing to other people. If my anger spills out, people have to stay out of my way until I am done being angry. Unfortunately, when I face them, I will be letting out eleven years of anger and hate and rage. I will exit that cool zen that I have worked hard to learn and maintain. Next question; which area are you working on, and what are you struggling on...Don't tell me you're not stuggling because I know you are, along with every other lycan who learns something new."

"I am working on awareness, and I'm getting good."

"All right, well if you want to sit and relax, go ahead, but I will say that the bad guys won't let you sit and relax unless it's in a grave."

"Will do."

I walked back over to Michael.

"Are my spells really all that weak?" he asked.

"If you compare them to me, hell yes; if you compare them to Wade, kinda; if you compare them to the bad guys, it depends. With these bad guys, breaking and ripping your spells will be as easy as breathing for them."

"Okay. You just told me absolutely nothing. Are my spells weak?"

"For your level of magic, they are pretty weak; it's like having something that says it can hold over a hundred pounds of something, then you find out it can hold one-hundred-and-two pounds. It's right, but you need something stronger. You find another thing that says the same thing, but you find out that it can hold one-hundred-and-forty-eight pounds. The second one is the same level but it's stronger, each level being a hundred pounds. You are the first one, and I can snap your spells like a twig. Make them stronger or you will die, and it might be by my hand during practice."

He looked at me as if I said I was going to strangle a baby, then feed it to a starving human.

"It would be an accident, dumb-ass, but it is still a damn possibility. If I kill you, I can bring you back; it's one of my talents. I saved a witch and her family from being stoned and burned; she granted me three powers. I told her I couldn't do that, she said she had to; it's a disgrace and dishonor to her and her family if she doesn't do something in return and that was what she wanted to do. I have the power to heal all that I kill; I have the power to be better than a cat at smelling, hearing, hunting, everything; and I have the power to create a sort of force thing made my magic. You experienced that last one earlier. It's only penetrable by stronger magic than mine, or so she claimed. I felt her power; it's pretty damn strong, I believe her. If you would like to see examples, I can show you, but I'd rather not kill anyone here, the cat thing would be kinda hard to demonstrate, and you already felt the force field thing."

"You really would kill me."

I couldn't tell whether or not it was a question.

"Yes, I really would kill you, Michael. I would kill you if I had to, and if I had to, you'd stay dead; I wouldn't bring you back. Don't make me have to kill you. I'd kill Wade, too, but that would be even harder. I'd kill anyone and everyone I have to in order to survive. So, if you try to kill me or Wade, I kill you. If Wade tries to kill me without my permission, I kill him. If he tries to kill you without your or my permission, and he doesn't have a good reason for it, I kill him."

"You're a goddamn sociopath."

"No, I just do what I have to do to protect myself; if that involves killing others, so be it."

"Holy shit. Stay away from me, just stay away."

"I did, Michael, remember?" I said icily, if that's a strong enough word for how cold my voice and posture was.

He hung his head.

"Fine, I'll stay with you to learn and then to kill those things, then I'm getting the hell away from you."

"Do Ma and Daddy still want me back home?"

"I don't know."

"Ask. I might be able to do the job if they let me invoke a role of the queen that hasn't been invoked in a long time; the Karistus. I want to be the punisher. Anymore, they just make up stories about what they do to people, which were at one point true but not anymore. We need a warrior queen, a Kraljica Macka Ratnika. We've had too many soft queens far too long. If I go back, it'll be on my terms. I will be warrior queen, with Namir as queen of peace. Ma and Daddy may see it strange to see me going back to the old ways, but if they want me there, that's how it's gonna be. When you ask, tell them my terms; warrior queen at least, or no me. Namir can decide if she wants to be peace queen, but I want my conditions known well."

He smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing; you're gonna be a great queen if they let you back in, you know, after your little stunt."

"Shut up, and get to work."

"Yeas, ma'am."

He worked on spells; Wade worked on his shifting; I worked on shifting, magic, fighting, and my powers.

13

I woke up to Michael's voice on the phone.

"Yes...I've got her here...No she's not injured...Because she over-worked herself...What do you mean, what have I been doing to her? I'm her brother for god's sake, what do think I'm doing with her...You don't know? You have really low and sick standards for me. I've been learning spells from her...No, not that type. Let me make this very clear; I am not sleeping with her or doing anything that constitutes as anything remotely sexual with her. My god, you are one sick bitch, you know that?"

"Michael? Who are you talking to? If you hang up just because I'm awake, I'll kill you, even if they ask you to hang up."

"That was one of Dawne's kids. Don't worry about it." He made shushing motions with his hands and walked over to find a piece of paper. He began writing. "Yes, I'm sure she's still asleep...Okay, I'll go check. Hold on," he started to put that phone down, then brought it back. "What?...How do you want me to make sure?...You want me to pull her hair? She's been out for a few hours; don't you want her to stay asleep?...You want to talk to her?...Okay."

He put the phone down and walked over to me. He put a hand over my mouth, pulled my hair hard, then took the hand off. I screamed loud; he could pull hard. He shushed me again. I flipped him off. He grinned and walked back to the phone, picked it up, and gave it to me.

"Hello, dearie," my sister said in a voice that was like a homemade treat that has too much honey in it.

"What's going on?" I said, trying to sound groggy.

"Oh, can it dear. You were always totally aware when you woke."

"Just checking if you actually remembered me. I heard you guys sent ol' Mickey here to take me back. Is it true?"

"Why ask me? Don't you trust your older brother?" she mocked.

"Not at all. You always were a bitch, but one thing I know about you, Carrell Ann, is that you could _never_ lie. It was one of the things I liked about you. Now, is it true that Ma and Daddy sent Michael out to get me for the throne?"

"Yes." That one word was jerky, as if it were literally ripped from her throat; she had tried to lie, but thanks to her own stupidity, she couldn't. As a child, she decided to try her magic out on another girl she was mad at. That girl's mother was a witch who made it impossible for Carrell Ann to lie. My parents didn't mind that in the slightest, so they looked the other way.

"Now, now, now, Carrell Ann, lies are bad. Why was Mike talking to you?"

"He called us."

I raised an eyebrow at Michael.

"Really? Are you the only person he's talked to?"

"So far."

"How long have you two been talking?"

"About two minutes. I was about to give the phone over to Mother."

"Oh, please do; I would absolutely _love_ to talk to her."

"It's your funeral."

"Oh, no, big sister, it may be yours."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Just give the phone to Ma; she and I have much to talk about."

"Okay. Here you go."

I heard talking in the background of the phone.

"Well, well, well, if it's not the queen-to-be gracing her sick old mother with her voice."

"So, you still want me to rule, huh? I got the impression that you hated my guts, that you would do nearly anything to keep me off the throne."

"Oh, that's true, but your father and sisters and brothers convinced me that you would be the best to do the job, that you would be one of the most effective rulers we have ever had, and ever would have. That's quite a compliment, considering who it's all from," her voice gave me the impression of acid-coated barbed wire.

"Well, gee, Ma, I didn't know you cared about what others thought."

"I don't, but when it's this close to being unanimous, it was out of my hands. Are you even coming back home?"

"Maybe."

"What?"

"Calm down. Me, Michael, and my son are going to do some very personal killings, and if we survive that, I'll come back and rule as queen. I can't speak for Michael, but I can speak for my son; he's coming with me. I'm his mother, and on top of that, he's submissive to me."

"Who isn't submissive to you? All your siblings except you were submissive to me and your father, but you weren't. One other thing; you have a son? You never really seemed the mothering type. Tell me, how much respect did I gain from you?"

"None, actually, with that comment, less. He's not my biological son. I saved him from many things when he was little, and to top it off," my lips curled into a cruel smile, "He's a wolf."

"What? You truly hate me, don't you? Why would you mate with a wolf?"

"I didn't mate with a wolf, Ma. I found him on a damn street corner, bleeding in half-form and abandoned. I took him in, got captured and tortured, got let go, and raised him. He's fifteen now and a budding Master Mage. I started teaching him the other day; I didn't realize what a piss-poor job his school was doing."

"Don't use that language around me, and how badly could a school be teaching magic? I know you; you find the best for the ones you love."

"The school I found promised all sorts of things they didn't do. If they did all the stuff they did, it would be a great school but they teach magicians' tricks. I asked them if they taught that kind of magic; they said yes. I asked if they taught combat magic; they said yes. I asked if both were on the curriculum he was on; they said yes. They lied. I'm pulling him out of that school and teaching him what I can in the amount of time I have."

"You have a time limit? Can I talk with this kid? I want to test him on what he knows, how well you've been teaching him. Better yet, bring him over before you go on your little killing spree; we can get you here in a matter of minutes."

"The time limit is my stress level; I have put it away for years. Michael says that I will explode if the stress comes out on its own and-" The phone was removed from my hand.

"Kat, I think you need to take a walk or go hunting. I promise to be good boy while you're gone. I'll look after everyone," Michael said calmly, holding the phone. It was cracked and had nail indents in it, and not human nails. I looked down at my hands, and sure enough, I had little kitty cat claws. Short, but there.

"Fine," I said and for the sake of being a pain in the ass, I added, "Bitch...Bastard."

I heard air come through his nostrils in a little laugh. I ran out the door and into the wood to shift and hunt.

14

When I got back, I was well-fed, relatively stress-free, and happy.

"I didn't know you could contact them by phone," I said, stretching my arms and yawning in a way very much like a cat's.

He smiled and took a sip of coffee. "_I_ can."

"I see. Is there any way that you could give me the number?"

"Why would you want it?"

"It might come in handy sometime."

"You, the great warrior queen, calling your parents for help," he said, laughing.

"Me, the great warrior queen, telling my parents I may be dead within the next twenty-four hours."

We both sobered at the possibility of it all. I may not see another Friday. Wade may not be sixteen. _Shit_.

"Where's Wade?"

"Asleep, on the couch. Dawne said he could sleep there and that I could sleep on the chair and that you could sleep on the other chair. I told her you liked to sleep on the floor. Her exact words were 'Nonsense; you just don't want to see your sister happy; from what it sounds like, you never wanted her happy.' She moved you to the chair. I went to the other chair, and sure enough, the moment she turned around, you were on the floor. She accused me of moving you; I told her that she would have heard me. She pulled me off the chair and shoved me into the other room and put you back on the chair. You went to the floor again. She came to the kitchen, dragged me over where she could see me, and did it again. I told her the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. She slapped me and left. You should let her know that she is stronger than she was a few days ago; she nearly took off my jaw with that slap. Lucky for us, we heal fast. She didn't seem to care."

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"How was she scorned?"

"She was trying to be a nice hostess and she thought you were messing with her, plus she and her kids just got Turned, plus she has four kids, plus we are probably riding off to our deaths, plus-"

"Okay, I get it. Wade wore himself out. He was practically out when I came over to check on him; you were busy. He said he couldn't go to sleep, that you'd get mad. I told him that you wouldn't want him to ride himself this hard, that he was practically out already, that he should just rest. I made sure you were like, you know, alive and stuff. I thought you had been meditating; you had passed out. I dragged you in and then the thing with Dawne and then the phone call and now here we are."

"So I've been out for the night, and you told Wade that I wouldn't want him to ride himself that hard? Who are you to make those kinds of calls for me? When we're in a fight, I'm not going to be there to baby him. He's not gonna be able to take a rest because he's tired. We're doing this again, this time everyone will go until they are about to drop, then they'll learn how to stay up and keep going. Did you tell Ma my conditions for being queen?"

"No, but-"

"Please, don't say 'she has no choice in the matter anymore.' Please don't say it. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please," I whispered to myself, intentionally loud enough for him to hear, knowing he was about to say it.

"What?"

"You were going to say that. My god. She's our mother; she can do anything she wants, and always find some way to make it look like a loophole or a mistake or something. If you haven't noticed that, then you're more of an idiot that I thought."

"I've noticed, and not only in her."

"What are you saying?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying."

"Me? I don't find loopholes that only a greased sewing needle could get through. I don't look for loopholes, either, and if I did, it would never be the way she does."

"How does she do it?"

"Like she searching for a red grain of sand in a million tan colored ones, and that it would save her life if she finds that single grain of sand. She usually finds it, too."

"You're right, you don't do that with loopholes, but you do have that perseverance to keep at whatever it is you want to do. I like that, red grain of sand in a pound of normal ones. Very poetic; ever thought of becoming a poet."

I took him by the collar of his shirt, lifted him off the ground, and ran him hard into a wall, all pretty impressive considering I'm nearly a foot shorter than him and he lifts weights every day, or at least he did. Not sure now.

"Don't you dare compare me to that narcissistic, chauvinistic, arrogant, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, vain, hag that is a poor excuse for a living thing, let alone a mother of anything."

"Geez, tell me how you really feel about the woman...And retract the claws. Where'd you learn to do that, anyway?"

"You are such an egotistic, cocky, arrogant, jack-ass!" I ended each word with a punch; you are _punch_ an _punch _egotistic _punch_ cocky _punch_ arrogant _punch_ jack-ass _punch_.

"Easy, easy. You got to let that out on the bad guys, not me," he sounded much less sure of anything now.

I screamed a very throaty, wordless scream-yell-thing, ran him across the shop, and threw him against the wall outside. He fell with a grunt, but recovered quickly. My fist was there to greet his face before he could stand up all the way. He fell back down; I kicked him across the alley, sending him skidding across the dirty ground. I started to go for him again but a pair of strong arms held me tight.

"Easy, Mama Kat. You can't kill him yet; we need him. Easy, easy."

"Wade, get off me before I hurt or kill you too."

"You won't kill any of us unless you need to; you said so yourself."

"Your heartbeat says what your voice isn't; you're scared, and not very sure of me."

I ripped myself out of his arms, ran silently, and tackled Michael with the force field. I began to suck away his life force with that shield.

"Did I say that I could take your life with this force field, along with protect it? That's what I'm doing; I'm sucking away your life force and will suck it away until you die. Then, I'll bring you back," I said with a smile. It wasn't a nice smile, at all; it was more of a 'I just got out of the straight jacket I was put in for murdering someone' smile.

"You crazy bitch. You don't want to do this. There has got to be a down side to this bringing-back-to-life thing you have; Death doesn't like to be cheated."

I sighed and stopped.

"You're wrong; I really want to kill you. It would give you nightmares to learn exactly how much I want to kill you. However, I do have a price to pay if I bring someone back; I would have to feed them about a quater or a third of my life force every damn day. Count this day as a lucky one; you could have been dead. It's a painful way to go, I've heard."

"What way?"

"Having your life force sucked out of you. You'll get yours back all the way in a few days. Stay out here until you heal all the way."

"That'll take-"

"About thirty-six hour after the coming morning. You have to stay outside for a few nights. Big freaking deal."

He opened his mouth to say something.

"Before you smart-mouth me, remember, I ran when I was thirteen. You don't automatically get a house when you leave the den. I am familiar with this kind of shit, so drop it. If you have _ever_ said that my life isn't so hard, and it never was, remember this shit. Remember that I spent half of my teen years on the street, stealing, hiding, begging, running, teaching myself what I could of fighting, and more. You think it's easy to be me? Yeah, I sent my kid to school and I don't have to take care of him or worry about him getting in some sort of trouble while I'm not home. Sure that's fine, but what did I go through before that? Before I found a house and a job and anything? How much did you respect me yesterday, and how much do respect me now?"

"Let's see, I have new respect for you because of all the shit you just did and talked about."

"That tells me jack shit; the question was how much respect yesterday, and how much today?"

"A lot yesterday, more today. Happy?"

I kicked him in the face.

"Mild and very diluted sample of my life as a thirteen-year-old."

"You've made your point. Can you go?"

"My words were 'You've made your point, and I'm hurt enough; can't you leave me alone long enough so that I can heal?' They usually said 'Since you're a freak, we'll let you heal half-way.' I got my ass kicked by humans because I was used to the damn setting at home. Almost every time that I stole my clothes from stores, I actually hoped I'd get caught. I got my wish, then wished I never had wished it. I taught Wade street talk, how to steal, and how to look different ages and to pull it off."

"I see. You want to teach _me_ that stuff?"

"Hmmm. Nope, nope I do not."

His face fell.

"Why not?"

"Because I want you dead."

"I see."

"Practice your magic; Wade, let's go drag the car back home, grab some stuff, and come back this way."

He just nodded and left.

"You, you little slime ball, better be more submissive to me than a wolf pup is to its alpha. Ma wanted us all to be submissive to her; I'm to be queen soonish; learn some respect for your Kraljica Macka to be."

"Yes, Kraljica Macka Ratnika, Karistus, ma'am. You know far more than I, you have far more skills than I, and I would like to beg for your forgiveness."

"You will be forgiven after you spend the nights out here, healing, and after you help kill those things. And no more formalities."

He grinned.

"Sorry, sis, but if you're queen, you get the full deal."

"I'll have people free of their formalities towards me at least shortly after I am on throne. Practice your magic and try and up you levels."

I turned around and went to the car. I wrote Dawne a note first.

_Dawne-_

_I am taking Wade and going back home to get _

_some stuff. I'll be back here soon but we'll _

_be going on a walk. We should be _

_back before dinner time. Michael __**STAYS**__ outside._

_I don't care how much he begs or tells you_

_I didn't mean it. __He__stays__out__._

I saw another note; must be what Michael was writing before.

_Its your fav sis. Shes up to somethin. _

_Dont be a smart-ass for once. Your not gona_

_like where this is going or where its coming_

_from. Ask me __not_ _them_

Great. I'll get madder at him later; I had a job to do, a job I gave myself a while ago. I pocketed Michael's note and put mine where Dawne could find it and went to the car.

15

When we got to the house, I got my purse, loaded it up with stuff that would make me look like I wasn't off the streets. I put on some rougher clothes, work clothes, and grabbed a bunch of human food.

"Mama Kat, what are you doing?"

"I am going to do what I told myself I'd do years ago; I'm going to give clothes and food and job suggestions to the runaways. I hated that life, but I stole clothes and some food and got thrown in once for it. It made it hard for me to get a job, but I got lucky; I found a job with a guy who understood what it was like. He made me swear that I wouldn't pull anything; he knew what it meant to others if you swore to someone you'd do something. He nicknamed me 'Twitch.'"

"Why Twitch?"

I smiled. "I was a nervous fourteen-year-old, being on the streets with no one to protect you except yourself. He said that if I had friends down the line that needed a job, then I could send them to him and he would take them or send them to others close-by. He was a good man; I never thanked him."

"Maybe showing up and saying hi would be thanks enough."

I laughed at that. "I thought I cut the cheesy crap out of your learning while I brought you up to school age."

He smiled. "You did, but other parents didn't; I had to give that one a shot."

"Kiddo, life isn't like that. I raised you to be kinda jaded, but you can't be truly jaded without experience."

I finished grabbing the stuff I needed, but then caught myself in the mirror.

"Shit!" I whispered.

"What?"

"I look almost exactly like I did back then, but bigger. Bruises and all."

"Why do you have your bruises still?"

"Every lycan I've ever met heals something slower than everything else, and one thing faster than everything else. I'm skin-slow, but bone-fast."

"Gotcha, so if I were to break your arm right now, how long would it take to heal?"

"As long as a bruise would for the skin-fast lycans."

"I'm guessing at this, but does skin-fast or -slow mean fast or slow at healing cuts and bruises, and bone-fast or -slow mean fast or slow at healing broken bones?"

"Yup. Have you noticed anything that heals faster than other stuff?"

"I don't have much to compare it to."

"Give me your arm."

He shied away.

"Just give it to me. It won't hurt for long."

He gave me his left arm; smart. I broke his upper arm, bruising it in the process, then grew a claw and sliced at his skin on his forearm.

"OOOOOOWWWWWWWWW! That hurt!"

"It won't be in a minute. Watch your arm; bones and bruises are most common, but there are others."

"My arm is now numb; thanks Mama Kat. You are seeming real motherly right now."

"Would you watch your arm."

I got off him so abruptly that he yelped, probably in pain as much as in surprise. I watched the skin finish re-knitting, and heard the bone fix itself, but the bruise stayed the same.

"Weird."

"What?"

"You are bone-fast and blood-fast, but bruise-slow. If it wasn't pain, I would experiment more. However, I'm talking about harming you in a few ways, which I am not willing to do."

"But you were willing to break my arm?"

"I knew you would heal one of those three really fast. In my family, we have extreme healing abilities so if a bone is broken and you're bone-fast, it heals almost instantly, but if you're bone-slow, we heal human-slow. I had to give you some of my blood when you were younger; you had lost too much. You were obviously a lycan; lycans' blood don't make the body go into shock if it's the wrong blood type. You have some of my blood in you; you actually have a lot of my blood but I survived. Let's go, 'cause I'm set."

"Okay then. So I'm what cut-"

"I think you're what's nicknamed a marrow person; bone has marrow, which makes blood cells. Marrow people are uncommon, but not rare. Congrats, marrow man."

"Sweet. So what's the plan?"

"You are going to drive me towards one of the runaway neighborhoods; I showed you where they were when you were talking about running away. I told you fine and if you were, go here. Then you are going to drive back to the shop. I'll walk back on my own."

"You sure?"

I held out a few of my knives and my claws. "Positive, Daddy."

We drove in comfortable silence the rest of the way, with nothing left to say.

I got out of the car when we got to my old boss's place.

"Hey, Twitch! Long time, no see. I've missed your scraggly little butt around here. I see you're not so scraggly, but other than that, you haven't changed one bit, not even the bruises. I hope it's good reasons I haven't seen you in a while, right? No lockup?" he said happily.

"Yeah, it's good reasons. I got a job when I turned eighteen, when I left, a good job. I have had a clean record since this neighborhood. I'm actually here to help kids like me around here. How has everything gone over the last few years?"

"Oh, not bad. The hood hasn't changed much, if that's what yer askin fer, but I can't help that much, only they can. You never grew out of your nervousness, did ya, Twitch?"

"Aww, Chubs, I did, but it's weird bein here after all these years. I mean, I left this place. I promised myself that I'd come back and help the people here, but I don't know. I guess I waited too long."

"Where'd you get them there bruises anyhow?" he said. Chubs was worried.

I smiled. "I got in a fight with my brother."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"I have a lot of brothers, and a lot of sisters. This one just showed up unexpected and made me mad. I kicked his ass and he's sleeping outside till he heals."

"Oh, he's like you, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a family trait."

"I thought your type healed fast, though. Why are those bruises still there?"

"I got new ones, from someone else; my own damn fault, and we all have one thing that heals fast, one thing that heals slow, and the rest that heals normal for lycans. Anyway, enough about me; how have you been?"

"The only thing that has changed for me is you; I have had no more workers. I have been working real hard over the years, and I feel like quitin and retirin, usin up those greens I got saved up for retirement."

"Oh, I was gonna send you some little worker bees. I was gonna give the kids some food and clothes so they could go a day or two without stealing, and recommend them to you or some of the others for work, the ones who don't mind kids with criminal records."

"I don't know if I'm up to it, but I know some people who are. I'll give you some addresses."

"Thanks, Chubs! I don't know if you have any idea how much of a difference you made on me."

"Really? I worked you till your hands bled, girl. How can you thank me for than?"

"Then my hands healed. You chased the kids who would kick dirt in them, and you gave me a few greens. Plus this place is warm. You gave me a place to work when no one-"

"I know, Twitch, I know. I was just like you. I ran, I stole. I actually killed a man, and was thrown in, but someone still let me work. I got less than minimum wage, but you know exactly what it meant. You know from experience. Here are the addresses, and don't be a stranger."

"I don't know if that's possible for what I've agreed to, but thanks."

"Twitch!"

"It's nuthin bad; i's achally too legal. I's my heritage...Holy crap. I found my true home, and I may never be able to come back, unless I can worm my way out."

"Twitch, my honest Twitch. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I was born."

He gave me a funny look.

I shook my head, "Don't worry about it; it's too long a story to tell."

"Maybe you'll tell me sometime."

"I promise you that if I survive to see another Friday, and if I can come back here again, then I will come back here to tell you."

"What have you got into?"

"Two different things, each dangerous for different reasons. I'm sorry, Chubs, that I can't tell you more, but it's too long and I don't want to get you involved. It's good to see you again, and I'll stop by before I leave."

"Bye," he said tentatively.

I left, confused and sad but with a fistful of addresses in one hand and clothes and food in the other.

I turned down an alley that had some kids around a fire.

"Hey guys. You want something to wear, other than that rag you may call a shirt?"

The kid nodded. They looked about ten, too young for puberty. Under the grime, I couldn't tell the gender. I gave the kid a shirt.

"Here. What's your name?"

"What da you care?" the kid said, who seemed like a girl.

"Because I was one of you guys. Then I found a job, then another one and then a house, and here I am."

"Oh, so ya was one of us, but ya was a clean one, huh?"

"Nope, I was arrested a few times for shoplifting and assault. I ran when I was thirteen and started out about as thin as you. I had nobody, was nobody, but I found a guy who would give me a job despite my criminal record. It turns our he was just like me, but worse; he had shoplifted like everyone here, but he killed a man. He understood what it meant to be young and totally hopeless, and have no one but your own self. He saw me and offered me a job. He protected me from the others when I needed it badly enough but I held my own mostly."

"Yeah, it looks like you can hold yer own," she said sarcastically.

"What?"

"Your face. It's all bruised an' cut up. Did ya hit it on a cupboard in yor new house?" she mocked.

"No. My house is total crap. I got in a fight with my big brother. I threw him across the alley for it though, and he can't come back in until he healed."

"If ya was one o' us, you'd know how cruel that is. If ya really did throw 'im across the alley, which I doubt, he could be real hurt."

"Yeah. Broken bones, gashes from metal, lost teeth, but me and him, we're lycans," they all backed up except the girl in front of me. "He'll heal in a few nights, and they aren't supposed to get very cold. He deserves his punishment."

"I don believe you."

"What don't you believe?"

"Any of it. I don believe that yer a lycan, I don believe that those bruises came from yer older brother, I don believe ya were one of us."

"I can prove that I'm a lycan, I can prove that I was one of you, but I can't prove the thing about my brother; he wanted to take a nap and I was tired of his mouth so I let him."

"Fine, prove that yer a lycan."

"Okay." I hugged my stuff to my stomach, stripped, got on all-fours, and changed. I was going to give the stuff away, sure, but _I_ wanted to give it away; I knew the difference between the people who actually needed it, and the people who didn't.

"Aww, cool," one of the kids said from behind the lead girl.

"Stay back; we don know if she'll attack."

I did my best to snort. Someone yelped. I whimpered an apology. I heard someone trying to take the stuff from under me. I growled and I changed back.

"Happy now?"

"Sorta," the girl said, her voice strained with fear and heart rate racing. Her posture was nice and strong though, so points for her.

The kid who tried to take the stuff was still behind me; I turned. This one was a boy; his shoulders could not be a girl's shoulders.

"Whatcha need?"

"Can I a few slices of that bread please? It's for my little brother," His voice was high-pitched and scared.

"Kid, you can have the loaf. I came down here to help. Here."

"Thanks," he said and ran. I watched him. He went to feed a younger boy and girl and an older woman. Talk about being the man of the house; he couldn't have been more than fourteen.

"So ya helped Sammie. No one helps 'im; he doesn't need it. He helps an' takes care of himself, an' his ma, an' his brother. Will ya help us all? Will ya give us all food an' clothes fer a day er a week er a year?"

Damn, I was losing my touch at who needed help, and who didn't.

"I can manage to get you all food and clothes for a day or two."

"That must be some job. What does it take to have it?"

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Wait two years. During those two years, learn how to fight monsters. Not kids, monsters who are trying to kill you. The monster may be human, or they may not be."

"So yer a police officer."

I snorted. "Hell no. I'm basically a mercenary; we kill for money. Learn how to use a gun, or martial arts, or high levels of magic, or something that lets you kill easily and effectively, and sign up. You make it or you don't. What's your name?"

"Sav. My name is Sav."

"You guys want to give me your names? Or do you not want jobs?"

"I'm Rickie."

"Mal."

"Cass."

"Lizzie."

"Ronnie, short for Veronica but I like Ronnie better and people say it suits my attitude more. That there is Jessie, but Jessie don't talk much."

"Sav, Rickie, Mal, Cass, Lizzie, Ronnie, and Jessie. Seven of you. Nice to meet you all. I'm Kat and here are addresses for jobs. My old boss gave these to me and he said they'd take kids from round here."

"Yeah, we call arselves the Unlucky Seven," Sav said.

"Ya never proved that ya was one of us," Rickie said.

"You're right. How do you want me do to it? Tricks that you can only know if you have lived on this street, or do you want me to ask my old boss?" I asked.

"Both," Lizzie said.

"Okay. Move then."

"What do you mean?"

"I spent lots of time in this here alley. I know it well. I might still have some stuff here."

"You heard the lady, move," Sav said and they spread apart, out of my way as I came. I found the spot I was looking for. I took a knife out from my shirt, moved the dumpster away from the wall, picked my own lock to my little safe that I built, and opened it up to reveal...absolutely nothing. Damn. Oh well.

"Sory nuthin wus there, but I knew the safe was there, plus I picked the lock."

"We knowed nuthin was there. You didn't have to show us nuthin. That was a waste of ar time, that was," Ronnie said.

"No, guys, it wasn't. See, she wouldn't 'a known that safe was there if she hadn't been here."

"That still don't prove she was here when she was ar age. She coulda just picked that there lock like we did, right, Sav?" Lizzie said.

"She's right, Kat. Le's go talk to yer ol' boss like ya said."

"I'm sure he'd be glad ta see me agin taday."

"Damn, girl, yer talkin's changed since ya started talkin ta us. Since ya picked that lock an' all, yer talkin' changed. Wha's up with that? Are ya fakin'?"

"Nah, I ain't fakin'. I did the same thing with Chubs. Le's go."

"Wait, what ya doin' with ol' Chubs?"

"Tha's my old boss."

"Twitch?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yeah, whys ya wanna know?"

"He said damn good shit bout you, girl. 'Kay, now what did you want?"

"I jus' wan'ed ta help ya all. I never liked havin ta steal most all I needed. I was able to get food an' water fine but clothes an' shelter? You guys know how it is, but at least you guys had each other; I had no one. I was thirteen and ev'rone was ordy in their groups when I got here. I had nowhere to go. I was barely able to keep the others from kickin' me _ev'ry_ time I was down."

"Hey, ya seem to be doin' pretty good. Can we stay with you for a few weeks? I mean, winters comin and you didn bring no coats," Rickie said, laughing nervously.

"Hey! We have each other and we don need help. We don ask for stuff we don need and when we need it, we don ask, we take it," Ronnie scolded.

"If it didn inerfere with pack order, I would say yes if my life was normal the th' momen'. Ri' now though, I may not see 'nother Friday. If I do, I may be on my way to my birth home where I cin be queen. Trus' me; i's not all i's cracked up ta be," I said.

"You is a princess, girl? You sure don't act like it. An' what were ya doin' out here if you had like a palace and stuff ta be in?" Rickie asked.

"I ran. I hated it there. My mother hated me an' I was the youngest so I was the punchin' bag. When I came here, I was dirt. They fought dirty and didn' wan' me to heal, like ma brothers did. They went easy on me, but no one here did. I still liked it here better than I liked it back there, or I'd be back by now," I said.

"Too true, too true. Well, if you can help us more, you knows where we is, 'kay?" Sav said with a bit of a strain to her voice.

"Sav? I though' we was gonna be fine this win'er. Did ya lie ta us?" Lizzie asked with that same strain, but with sadness in it as well.

"Na, I didn lie. I just over-estimated stuff tha's all. Ya all know me better than tha'. I do not lie to my family." She said the last word with feeling.

"We know Sav, we know," Cass said.

"No one likes a suck-up, Cass," Ronnie taunted.

"Guys, no fightin' is needed ri' now. Ri' now, we need to know what the _honest_ chances of bein' in a warm place for the win'er will be," Sav said, turning to me and scolding the rest of her group.

"Slim. I ordy told my mother that I'd be there if I survived to see the end of the week," I said, grimacing.

"Well, where ya goin' that is so bad?" Rickie asked.

"A bad place tha' I hope none of ya never see, an' if I get what I want, no one else ever will see them, 'cept maybe their corpses," I responded.

"So you're goin' on a killin' spree," Lizzie said, jumping up and down and clapping.

"Lizzie, can it! Lo's o' people 'round here call Lizzie the Raven, and i's not just 'cause of her hair if ya get what I mean," Sav said.

"How good are ya all at fightin, an' how good is yer pain tolerances?" I asked.

"Whys ya want ta know?" Sav asked.

"The things I'm goin' af'er tortured an' raped me an' my two-year-ol' son a few years back. Tha's who I'm out ta kill. If ya are bloodthirsty and don' mind possibility of a lot of pain, an' maybe death, come along."

"No. None of us are comin'. I un'erstan' yer wan' fer help with this, but we spent years out here tryin' ta survive. We are _not_ gonna jus' waste it away by goin' with someone we don' even know," Save said adamantly and quickly.

"I un'erstan' an' I'll be back here Saturday if I'm back at all. Bye."

"No hard feelin's?" Sav said.

"Of course not. Yer protectin' yer fam'ly an' I asked somethin' I shouldn't have. Bye."

They all waved. Some said bye; others didn't but they all stood there. I turned around and almost ran into someone, someone triply unexpected; one it wasn't a kid, two it was a guy who seemed to be waiting for me, and three I knew him.

16

"Ray. Ya still stuck here on the streets?" I said, proud of myself that I didn't blush or sputter. Ray was my first boyfriend, found here on the streets. He helped and protected me from the bastards around here when Chubs wasn't around to. I hadn't seen Ray since I left here, and I still felt bad; I didn't even say good-bye.

"Nah, I was passing by and saw you. You never changed...well, you filled out but that was never my _main_ attraction point. I'm an honorable fella. What are you doing back? And with the accent? And with the bruises?"

I had to smile at that.

"You either, but you filled out too. What job you been working?"

"You're avoiding my questions," he scolded.

"Let's take a walk," I said, glancing at the kids.

"No, we like a show; we neva get an'thin in'erstin' round here. Stay!" Sav said.

"Sorry, Sav," I told her, grabbing Ray by the elbow and walking back to the normal road.

"Answer my questions, Kat. What are you doing back on the streets? You're half naked for goodness sake. Here, put some clothes on," he said, starting to take off his shirt, which would probably cover me to almost my knees.

"No, Ray, I'm not back on the streets. I'm half naked because I shifted and didn't get the chance to get all my clothes back on. I know how to fight; it's my job. I have a house. I'm back here to help these kids, so that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't have to steal the necessities another day. I'm fine, really. I get paid enough money. These bruises are because one of my brothers pissed me off, so I threw him across the alley. He is one of those 'you should see the other guy' cases. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Okay, where do you live? Exact address, and what does the house look like, inside and out please," he said in a cat-with-cream voice.

"I live on the numbered streets. Number 64 on 9th street. It's painted whit, but it's chipping. The door and frame is new, but the knob is cheap and old. I have a little TV, a table, a couch, a small living room, a small dining room, a tiny kitchen, a small bedroom, and a half-sized bathroom. I said I had a house, but I didn't say it was a good one. It's not even an okay one, but I'm a lycan, and I'm a Hound so I can take down a lot of the people who come through my door. I have even been working on upping my silver tolerance. It will never be as neutral as a human's, but it might be better than any lycan's. I live in a bad neighborhood, but my specialty is taking down the crazy lycanthropes, and anyone in my area. You can actually do that. Enough about me though; what have you been doing?"

"Uh, nothing much," he shrugged and scratched his neck. "I did some time a little after you left. That was hard, but a few years after, I managed to get into a crap college but it was good enough to get me a job as a construction worker. I found a few girls, but none have been you. I realized that, with the help of the last girl, a while ago. She was really nice and we were both bummed that it didn't work out. We both agreed on the whole 'no hard feelings' deal, but we both took it harder than we each agreed to. One thing that I will say, is that you didn't even say good-bye. You didn't-" he started to cry. I hugged him and let him cry into my shoulder, which was awkward, him being around six feet and me being about five feet.

"Ray, do you want to go somewhere a little more, uh, private? I feel guilty every day, and guiltier every time I see these kinds of alleys. I know that doesn't make it go away, but let's go."

"Why? Embarrassed to be seen with me? Embarrassed to be seen with a man who cries?" he blubbered.

"No, it's just that people are watching, and Bruce is coming."

"Shit," he said, getting up and pushing me behind him. Maybe it was habit, or maybe it was male macho dominance crap. I didn't know, but I did know that Bruce, our old childhood bully, would be ruthless toward Ray. I evened myself with Ray, so that I wasn't ahead of him or behind him.

"You know, Ray, you've turned pathetic; it always used to be her crying and you protecting her. Is it the other way around now?" he taunted.

Ray looked behind him. I touched him on the shoulder gently with an apologetic look. He looked relieved.

"You know, Bruce, you just admitted that you are the stupid brute everyone knew you were," I told him.

He looked confused.

"And that proves it. Your exact words were 'You've _turned_ pathetic.' You didn't think he was pathetic then, and by your eyes, and your pulse, hell I don't need those, your brain waves, say that you still respect him. You just can't show it, not here, not in front of me, or him, or in front of anyone from this area, or who knew that you have no respect for anyone but yourself. Get out of here before I kick your ass," I threatened.

"What, she do all your talkin', all your protectin'?" Bruce asked Ray.

"No, it is just hard to get a word in edgewise with her sometimes. I came close to kicking your ass enough when we were kids a few times, she said she threw her brother across an alley, I'm older and stronger and work construction. You might want to get out of here before we kick your ass. Two against one ain't good odds, Bruce," Ray said calmly. I wish I could achieve that constant calm he had; I tried several times and failed so I embraced my anger and temper and rode it when it came up.

"Boys! You want to show 'em what ain't good odds?" Bruce called.

Four or five guys came out from the alleys, the thugs he traveled with. I was stupid and figured he'd grown out of that; oh well, because as long as they were all human, we were fine.

"Bruce, if you want to scare _me_, you're going to have to do better than that," I said.

"Kat, let's go; something tells me that Bruce won't care if lets them kill us. I can't fight them; they have got to be able to lift small cars. I can lift a lot, but I can tell that they can lift more. Let's go," Ray said.

"I don't know, Kat; by what Ray is sayin', you're already scared. You might want ta go; these guys can rip ya apart," he said then whispered, as if telling me a secret, "I've seen it."

I sniffed the air. They were human and lycan. Damn. Halfies.

"Wow, Bruce, you've been busy finding yourself some little fighters that aren't bothered by the moon or by blood, but still have super strength. I can guarantee you though, that I can beat them all. If they want my life, all humans may want to stay out of this dance though," I said.

"You know, Kat, no one likes a liar."

"I'm sorry your mommy didn't like you. Is that how you wound up on the streets?" I said. Ray struggled to choke down a laugh, and I had to grin.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. I heard that you can choose to have rules, or not, and if you do how many. What do you want?" Bruce said.

"I want rules, but not many. If I die, which I doubt, no one else gets hurt. I get to know what kind of lycans I'm facing. I can use any weapon here, except full form-"

"Wait, full form? What do you mean?" one of the halfies asked.

"It means that I can't shift my entire body."

"What do you mean?" another one asked.

"I would say that you are all stupid, but that's already pretty damn obvious. It means that I can partially shift most of my body. Only I get hurt, or Bruce, and obviously, since I'm going to kill you guys, you get hurt too. That's the end of my rules."

"They're all wolves. Ready?" Bruce asked.

"No. Ray, back up. I don't care about any male macho dominance protective whatever shit. I am a mercenary and my specialty is to fight off the crazy lycans, when they are full formed. They don't have rules, and half the time they have back-up. I will be fine. Back up before I make you. Bruce, you stay right here in the middle of the fight so I can kill you too."

"One of your rules was to not let yourself change though. Why?" Ray asked.

"I'm up for a challenge," I said. He looked worried. "Don't worry; these are halfies, and weak and as much fun as a challenge of not changing during a fight is, it's not much of one if it's only against a halfie. Please do this for me?"

I think it was the last part, but he backed up with a look on his face that was desperately trying to be sure. I looked at the halfies, made a kissing noise, and brought my hand up to make a 'bring it on' gesture.

"I take it you're ready?" Bruce asked.

That totally ruined my Hollywood movie fight seen where the bad guys get all offended like they're supposed to and come to fight.

"Bruce, you're an idiot. Yes. Now, girls, if you want to fight me, you can come over now, or you can make me come over. Trust me that you do not want to make me come over their though."

One of the thugs took more offense to the 'girls' comment and came towards me sooner than the others. I swerved out of the way, pounded him to the ground with one foot, took his hair, and used it to twist his head in such a way that would snap his neck. He'd probably get up in a minute, but I could bury my fist someone else's torso before he did though.

I turned around, only to be punched in the face. I turned my face back slowly.

"I really hope you didn't just punch out a tooth; those take forever to grow back. In case you did, you are going to have to die _real_ slow," I told whoever punched me.

A pair of paws appeared in place of my hands. I saw someone else coming at me on my right, so I tripped them while I batted Mr. punched-me-in-the-face. Lucky for me, the thug who was tripped had landed with his head close to my shoes. Before I stomped the thug's face in, I put pressure on his face and yelled at Ray to turn around, and found out that he already was; I told him to plug his ears and he did. I stomped the thug's face in until I saw gray matter; he was dead.

I continued to bat at the guy in front of me. He had been screaming and healing. I hit harder and deeper. I caught his eye, chunks of bone, and more. It was nasty but I eventually and literally clawed his face off. And his hair, and some of his skull and brain. He was dead too.

I got bored of things going so slow. I changed my head and when to the other three to yank out their spines and jugulars. I turned around to see Bruce, and his pants were wet. I tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a growl, snarl, coughing combo since my head was still in tiger form. The wet spot got bigger, then he ran.

I looked down at myself and saw that I was not only covered in blood, but also bits of brain, skull, spine, and an eyeball. Yuck. I brushed it off with my awkward paws. Shifting everything back was out of the option until all the gunk was off my clothes because blood leaves with the fur, but the eyeballs stay on the clothes.

When I finally got as much of everything, including the blood, off my clothes, I shifted my hands and face back and tapped on Ray's shoulder. He jumped and started to turn around.

"No, don't turn around. You don't want to see this," I said, trying to ease him away from the scene of death.

"No. I want to see what my, well, hopefully, girlfriend has just done," he said, turning around. He paled. "Where's Bruce?"

"He ran. I didn't kill him, or even try to. I tend to like to try to not kill humans."

"Why? They aren't even your species. You would rather kill your own species than kill the one that hates you. I don't get that."

"I kill the crazy lycans, and protect the good ones. I protect humans because they are genetically weaker than us...Although you may be a match for a few of my brothers and definitely a some of my sisters," I told him.

"Well, gee, thanks for saying that I can take down _some_ of your sisters," he said laughing. Then his smile faded as he said, "Is this what you do at work?"

"When I have to. I make it as clean as possible, which means that I can use magic, but like I said, I wanted a challenge. Unfortunately, this wasn't even close," I said, pulling him down for a kiss, that I wasn't even sure I'd get. I was pleasantly surprised.

After long enough, he pulled away.

"Well, I suppose that answers the girlfriend question. Can I meet the brother who made the bruises?" he said, very close to my face.

I bit my lip playfully, "Um, maybe next week. I don't like him, but I am not really allowed to beat him up much. He came back to drag me home, and if he succeeds, I'll get a loooong earful of it. I'll ponder if he is one of the brothers that you're able to take down, though. I'll try to come back tomorrow. Go say hi to Sav, and the others from the Unlucky Seven. They seem like good kids."

"They're not; they're excellent con artists, but they're not good kids. You used to pin kids better than that, Kat. Now I really believe that you've been out in society."

I must have been looking at him funny, as if my thoughts were written all over my face as they oftentimes are.

"I've met them, saw through them, but saw someone take them in. They keep the same group name, which is their one and only weakness, but they change their names everywhere they go. When I met the one you were talking to, her name was Lucy."

"Really? She won't be expecting me on Saturday, now that I've talked to you, will she?"

"Probably not."

"How long had you been standing there for?"

"A few minutes after uh, Sammie, I think, left."

"I didn't hear you."

"One of my many talents was that I am _very_ quiet on my feet. But, speaking of which, the social call wasn't the only reason I was here. Hypothetically speaking-"

"Uh-oh."

"Say that the company I work for was about to close down. _Hypothetically speaking,_ how fast could you get me a job at the place you work at?" he asked nervously, obviously not a hypothetical question.

"Well, if it's hypothetical, why does it matter?" I asked. I like it when people admit things to me, even things like this: the need for help.

He took a deep breath and let it out.

"Because it's not hypothetical. I'm going to need a job, soon. You're the only employed person I know who would be willing to help me get a job; I don't want to go through the papers again. How easy would it be for me to get a job where you work?"

"I knew it wasn't hypothetical; I like honesty, you know that. My boss likes me, and the Hellhole's Hounds are _very_ lenient, and so long as what you do doesn't get them in trouble, you can use whatever you want to get your job done. The issue isn't really them not giving you a job because of your record; it's them not giving you a job because of lack of fighting skills. Hellhole's Hounds has mainly human fighters, but we are bounty hunters. We are kinda like a less law-abiding, less law-focused, more chaotic police...so we are really nothing like the police but we are...we're a chaotic organization of mercenaries. How long till you lose your job?"

"Until we finish a the structure of a building. They would make us stop here and now, but unless they want to lose more money, we can't. It'll take about a month. Why?"

"How well can you fight?"

"I'm muscle, is that enough?"

"No."

"Why?"

"What use is a gun if you don't know how to use it?"

"That makes sense. Can you teach me?"

"Can I teach you, he asks. Hah, that's like saying 'is the sky blue?' I can teach almost anyone. I pride myself on many things that I have done, and one thing is that I have taught a monkey, literally a gorilla, karate. Now, Anna has a blue belt in Karate. Yes, Ray, I can teach you how to fight, and you get to meet the brother who gave me the bruises. If I teach you, you will probably be better than him, but I'm teaching him too; me, him, and my adopted son are going to a fight that we have to go to, soon."

"You never mentioned a son."

"Adopted, and saved. He's a werewolf, and if he wasn't fifteen and we were both the same exact species, you know, him tiger or me wolf or both of us human, you could swear he was biological. He won't learn weapons though. It's driving me crazy, but you were always pretty persuasive; maybe you can make him let teach him how to use something other than tooth, claw, and simple knives."

"Isn't there that dominance thing with all lycans?"

"Yeah, and he's submissive to me, but I don't do compulsion spells on him. Even if I did, it wouldn't be as effective as they would be if he simply said yes."

I leaned into his chest, and found that my head fit very nicely in its center. I smiled and he ran his hands through my hair, then started petting it. I smiled again and we stood there in the middle of a runaway neighborhood in front of five bodies that I killed. I remembered that and told him we should go before the cops got here. He noticed it was too late. I smirked and laughed an unfriendly and not-so-very-funny laugh.

17

"I told you, it was in self defense. Ray wasn't even involved," I told Officer Abney for the fourth time. Another officer came in.

Abney was average height, very heavy on the donuts, mustache with cream in it, no beard, nasally voice, and just downright annoying. The other officer was taller, golden hair, thin-as-a-twig, clean-shaven. That meant he was probably either a rookie or a senior officer; I couldn't tell by his age, because he looked between twenty-five and thirty-five.

"Ms. Madea, we need you to tell us the truth-" the new officer started to say, before I interrupted him.

"I've been telling you the truth, but before you say anything more, I know you don't believe me, so I'll just tell my story again. I was in that neighborhood to help kids, so that they wouldn't have to steal for another day; I know that life, because that was my life. I had been talking to some kids, but was going to go back. When I turned to leave, I literally ran into my old boyfriend from when I grew up there. I didn't-"

"Excuse me. You grew up there? In that neighborhood? You didn't say that earlier," Abney said.

"I'm sorry, but yes I did; look on the tape. You were too busy pacing and not believing me. Why don't you let the other officer ask questions. As I was saying, me and him talked about what we had done. He saw the bruises on my face heard the accent that I accidentally picked up again and was worried that I was back on the streets. I assured him I wasn't. We shared more of what has happened over the past few years that we haven't seen each other. He was sad that when I left, I didn't even say good-bye to him, which is true. He started crying into my shoulder. Our old childhood bully came up and made fun of him. We all smart-mouthed a few more things, then the childhood bully, Bruce Fredell, set his halfie thugs on us. I told Ray to get away from the fight so that I could take care of them; we all knew their intent. I just did it to them before they could do it to us. Ray was not involved in it, other than standing up to Bruce. He did as I told him to do and stayed away from the fight."

"How was it, Ms. Madea, that we found these men with their faces appeared to be torn off, spinal cords torn out, their throats torn out, and their faces smashed in?" Blondie asked.

"I'm a lycan."

"You're lying."

"What makes you say that?"

"No lycan can change shape without rest."

"I can, and even if I couldn't, I didn't change all the way; I changed my head and hands."

Both officers looked at me suspiciously.

"I don't believe you," Blondie was the one who said it. I guess when he started talking, no one else could.

"You want proof?"

"You'll kill us," Abney said, panicky.

"You think I _really_ want to be up on murder charges? Of cops?" I said.

"You're already close to them. What's two more on top of the five you already got, and the possibility of six. Did you eat Bruce Fredell?" Abney asked.

"No. I only eat the animals in the forest who already have natural predators. I don't go to the forest very often; I go to the store more, but I like to hunt. But I can change a paw or something if you want me to prove that what I'm saying about being a lycan is true."

"I've heard that the really powerful ones can do that," Abney whispered to Blondie. I could hear him, but didn't bother telling him.

"If she really is a lycan, she can hear you. What did he just say, Ms. Madea?" Blondie said.

"His exact words were 'I've heard that the really powerful ones can do that.' Is that proof enough? Or do I have to jump through more hoops? Can I change a paw, or extend some teeth or claws or something? They're fast, don't take a lot of energy, but not many lycans can do what I can do."

"Why?" Abney asked suspiciously.

"Because I slept with the magical lycanthrope fairy who gives all the lycanthropes their powers. Why do you think? I just have more power than most others, just because."

"Why'd you say the first thing?" Blondie asked curiously.

"Because it's written all over his face that he thinks I'm a whore. My name may still be in the system; I spent a few fun times in juvie when I was living on those streets. You can look up that I work at Hellhole's Hounds. Call them; they'll tell you that I'm a lycan. What else do you want to know?"

"We want the truth," Abney said.

"I've given you the truth. Five times now. I could give you lies if it would make you happier, but somehow I doubt it. Why don't you put Ray in here, take me out, and see if his story matches up with mine. That seem fair, Blondie-I mean, officer?"

Blondie smiled, "Blondie?"

"Well, I didn't see your tag and the nickname is now stuck in my brain, so even if I see your name, your nickname is still there. Take Ray in here. He will say that he didn't see or hear most of the fight; he didn't want to see it, and I didn't want him to hear the screams, or me stomping a guy's skull in."

"Convenient," Abney said, laughing.

"What? I have already admitted to have killed in self-defense. He'll just be the one to confirm it was self-defense, not cold-blooded murder out in the middle of the street. He saw the beginning of the fight, and was in the conversation that started it. Bring Ray in, compare our stories."

"You are aware of what's on your boyfriend's record?" Blondie asked carefully.

"You are aware of what's not on mine?" I asked casually, as if asking the weather; my eyes were nothing but casual. "What I haven't gotten caught at? He mentioned that he did some time, but didn't say anything more of it. Whatever he's done is nothing I haven't."

"Well, that makes you a very dangerous woman, now doesn't it, Ms. Madea?" Abney said, more nasally than ever.

"Yes, it does, but I have no reason to do any of it. The only reason you have to hold me is as murder suspect; I have already confessed to that, but that it was self defense. Five against one, hell five against two is bad odds."

"Yes, but you proved that you could take them."

"So? Not many people could; that was Bruce's point. He was counting on the strength of his five halfies."

"I've been meaning to ask; what exactly _is_ a halfie, Ms. Madea?" Abney asked.

"A halfie is half human, half lycan. They are sick little bastards, but they have some benefits. They don't _have_ to change monthly; they are pretty tired for about a week, as if they had mono or a bad cold or something, but they don't have to change. They have about two-thirds the strength of a normal lycan, and they heal about double the rate of humans; other than that, they are wholly human. Bring in Ray, and kick me out; this place smells like horse shit and crayons."

Abney smelled the air.

"No it doesn't," he said.

Knowing he'd say that, I tapped my nose and said, "Lycan nose. It's faint enough not to bother me much, but it's getting on my nerves." I jangled the cuffs on my wrist, "Can I at least sit in a cell or something; I'm used to those smells. I'm not into farming, or three-year-olds."

They complied exactly as I asked; I was going to one of the cells here in the station, but before that, I passed Ray as they brought him into the interrogation room, also wearing cuffs but he looked worried and miserable. I smiled, trying to say _It's going to be okay_ and hoped he got it.

18

"Well congrats, Ms. Madea, your boyfriend's story lined up with yours. He gave me more information about your guys' past together, but oh well. You are free to go," Abney said at my cell door. I'm glad he was at the angle he was at; he couldn't see me vandalizing the cell with a claw from there, but that's how I meant to do it, so why should I be surprised.

"Thanks, officer. I could have told you that in the first place, except I did, five times. Are you guys going to give me all my weapons back?" I asked, sheathing the claw and turning around on the cot.

"Well, we found some illegal ones-"

"I bought them, at a store. I have receipts for all the weapons I carry, but I will not walk to my car from here, so you can either give me my very legal weapons, give me a police escort to a place that is very out of the way, through the Skirts, or give me my weapons. I know they look illegal, which is why I hesitated a little, but I give my to you that they are legal. When I give my word, I don't break it; it's a law for me, and it got me in serious, painful trouble when I was on the street. They. Are. Legal. Now, please let me out, with _all_ of my weapons, and let me back to my friend's shop, where I'm staying for right now. Ray's staying with me, too."

"These particular weapons are actually highly not legal," he said, holding up the weapons that the halfies had on them. I must have taken them as I was killing them. Oops.

"Oops. Those are actually not mine."

"Really? Then why were they on your person when we patted you down? Why did you not object when we took them off you?"

"I've been patted down more times than you can count and I've gotten crafty. I'm also a natural-looter. It came from well everything I've done since I was about six. I must have taken their weapons unconsciously. You can have them, and burn them or keep them in you illegal weapon safe or do whatever you do with illegal weapons. The weapons I own are all legal. You can search my house if you like, although you would need a warrant and you have no cause for one, unless you are very creative. Is this going on my record?"

"No. You are free to go."

"Thanks. If Ray doesn't have his phone, can I use one? I didn't bring one, I would rather not like a police escort, and I am not walking. Ray probably wants to drive his own car."

"Sure."

He didn't let me out yet.

"Hey, if I'm free to go, why haven't you let me out yet?"

"Sorry, I just kinda spaced that one; I haven't let anyone out of here in a long time."

"Yeah, I noticed it was kinda empty," I said, pointing to the numerous people who filled up most of the holding cells. That got a few laughs, even from Abney.

"No, I mean, _I_ haven't taken many people out of here," he said.

"Abney, didn't you take Carter out like yesterday, and Abbey last week?" someone asked. I think I heard his name was Jason.

"No, I haven't been down here in ages," Abney said.

"Whatever you say," he said.

"That's right, now I am saying shut up, and I am unlocking her cell and as soon as she gets her weapons back, she will be free to go."

"Bye, Jason," I called.

"Bye, kitty Kat. Maybe I'll see you around," he said.

"Yeah, but hopefully for us both, on the good side of the bars instead of the bad side."

"How many times you been in?"

"Enough to know it sucks, but enough to brag about in juvie."

"I'll bet you I was in more in juvie."

"You ever wind up in juvie for-actually, you know what, Officer Abney, can me, Jason, and Ray all sit down somewhere and just talk. Sounds like we would have some interesting memories to share."

"No. I'm getting you out of here as soon as possible. Plus, you don't want to be left alone with that guy, no matter how strong you are."

The last part confused me. I sniffed the air, and smelled something that wasn't lycan, but close. It was close but the opposite, and I knew what he was.

"You're a Moon Fighter, aren't you, Jason?" I said.

"Close; Sun Ally, actually. Most people pin it on either lycan, witch, or weird shifter and get scared and run. How did you get so smart about your super friends? Some of the super experts don't know what I am, so how do you know?"

Moon Fighters are like lycans, except they are animal for every night except New Moon. Sun Allies had to shift every night, just as Moon Allies had to shift every day only during the day; they were born as they were, but they could choose. The Panel Allies are clans, and when they are old enough, they got to choose which side they went. Before they were old enough, they shifted as 'normal' lycans, the ones who just shifted on the week of the moon. The women usually shifted on their periods, which made teen girls worse, but since they've been like this, we have gotten used to it and gotten to know how to deal with it.

"If people you call supernatural experts don't know what you are, then they aren't supernatural experts. If they were supernatural and experts about themselves but didn't know about you, they're either lying about something, or they haven't done very mcuh homework. If they are human and say they are experts on the super stuff, and they don't know about you, then they haven't done their homework either. They can know a lot more than other people, and might be the town smartie, but that's not enough to call themselves an expert to others who actually are experts. Like I said, hope to see you on the good side of the bars."

"Right back at ya; wouldn't want that pretty face abused much more."

"This was done by my brother because I was caught off-guard. My brothers never played fair. I made the mistake of trusting my brother and not guarding my every move around him because I haven't had to do that in a few years, but that skill was too honed for too long to be gone this fast. It will be back when I get back home; I use it when I work every day anyway, so it'll be easy. I didn't expect to have to distrust my brother, but I don't know why. Bye, Jason."

"Bye, kitty Kat. I actually hope I don't see you again. Be thankful for that; what I do, and what I fantasize about doing to, women are what got me put in here. I have never found a woman that I didn't fantasize about, though I admit I did at first about you." He grinned evilly, "You were very good. Very good indeed, my kitty Kat. You had best hope to not see me in twilight, and I hope not to see you on your week, or when you're hunting. It would be bad for both of us. Now, officer, take her out of here, and I must say, good job catching me, but you couldn't have done it without her help."

"You dick!" Anbey snarled, not so nasally at all.

"Did I miss something?" I asked.

"We had a lycan officer on the force; he killed her."

"I'm sorry."

"Why do you care?" he asked stiffly.

"Because I have lost people too, and I wasn't trained, and I was a kid. Like I said, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you didn't do it, but if you're really sorry, don't hang around with this guy."

"Sounds to me like he doesn't actually want us to meet."

"Was that what he said? I didn't really get it."

"He kinda said that he doesn't want us to meet because he'd feel bad about what he'd do, and I'd kill him before he got a chance to apologize. Street talk says lots of things, bluffs a lot, lies sometimes, but skips over a helluva lot more than normal talk, and we all understand it."

"You're all crazy is what you are."

"I didn't ask what we were, because that would get a large number of answers; I told you what street talk said, or some of it, anyway. Now, will you be my escort to this dance, or will I be going alone?" The last had the undertone of a threat/warning that said _let me out or I'll let myself out._

"Is that a threat?"

"A promise."

"I was going to let you out, but if you're violent-"

"There are plenty of violent people out there; you can't arrest every violent person out there, but if you take me in, you will have a lot more monsters to ask the Hounds to take care of. I am one of their best and they'll be kind of upset if you arrest me. It's one thing if I die but it's another if you arrest me because I'm asking to be let out, after you've been saying you'd let me out for kind of a while. Now, let me out or I'll let myself out."

He laughed at that. "You can't do that."

"Why? I'm not strong enough?"

He nodded.

I got very close to the bars.

"Officer, there are many things that make you strong, other than just brute strength."

"I have strong willpower; your womanly wiles won't work on me if that what you're saying."

"You know, I didn't even think of that. You seem like a sexist man, but I'll let it go; you're a cop, I'm a girl, I'm not made of glass, I'm over it. Is your willpower strong enough for actual magic? Even if it is, I don't want to be in trouble for much, so I'll just drag you over."

I wrapped my force field around him none-too-gently and dragged him to my cell. I 'accidentally' grew a claw and grabbed his keys. My claws had already grown out a little, which didn't surprise me much itself, only that I didn't feel it. When I grabbed the keys, I had shredded a patch of his shirt, and his belt was hanging off his pants. Oops. I unlocked the door to my cell, leaving him speechless, blaming the claws on stress, which was partially true.

"I guess I'm doing this dance solo; shame we couldn't just do it together, but the span of my patience tends to be less than a four-year-old's, and mine is used up. Good bye, officer. You can't do anything about my leaving because you've been telling me I could leave, and have my weapons. Don't make me do anything else please; it slows down my healing, and good bye, Jason. I hope we don't meet again, but if we do, it will definitely be a hell of a fight and you have to promise me one thing; no others involved. If we meet again and it comes down to a fight, it's you and me and no one else, no hostages or body guards or civilians or anyone. Got it?"

"Yeah, kitty Kat, sure. I won't avoid you, but I won't be looking forward to any meetings, either."

"Ditto," I said and left, fighting not to run, or jump against the walls and out the doors like the rampaging wild animals do in movies. I've always wondered if that was true; now was not the time to find out though.

19

Ray and I walked the thirty-seven blocks back to his truck. Since it was uncomfortable to be silent all the way there, as we learned by experience, we talked. That was a little awkward too, but it was eventually okay.

We were both uncomfortable, and it showed. Ray had his hands in his pockets, with his arms almost huddled to his body; considering his size, that is not an easy task. His shirt was straining so much it looked like it would tear at any second. I was biting my nails, human nails, and holding my other elbow like a life line. If either of us asked if we were okay, we'd both lie and say we were fine, but our faces, eyes, and postures would scream the lie loud and clear that we were definitely _not_ okay, but we would both let it go. We were street rats, and we had survived a lot together, a lot more than most street rats; it took a lot to shake either of us this much. I don't know why either of us were like this, yet I did.

"So, uh, what exactly do you do? I mean, like are you a bounty hunter and you basically have legal murder, or what?" he asked, obviously confused and curious and maybe even disgusted, as if it were actually true.

"No, someone calls it in and we don't kill them unless we have to. I just usually have to because of the specialty I took up. I didn't do it so I could kill them; I did it so they wouldn't kill everyone else. I do my best to drag in all the lycans, but I can't save them all, not if they are all trying to kill me. Crazed Loners are tricky bastards, and they are tough and it sometimes comes down to a fight-to-the-death fight. I don't like it, but it happens. I am the Hellholes' most and least favorite Hound. What about you? Anything but work?"

"You mean a family." It wasn't a question. "No, I haven't got a family. I don't even have a pet, but I'm thinking about it."

"Fair warning: do you want my honest opinion on anything I have an opinion on?"

"As long as you have a right to have an opinion on it."

"What are my, uh, uh,-"

"Boundaries? Is that the word you're looking for?"

"Sure. It's not the word I'd have picked since it's not really my favorite word, term, idea, or thing, but I guess, yeah."

"You have a right to have an opinion on anything except women. You left me, and if I pick-"

"I wouldn't do that to anyone. I might do that to my brothers, or Wade, but not to friends."

"Who's Wade? Do you have a boyfriend? Are you still into monogamy? Kat-"

"Ray, Wade is my adoptive son. I found him on the streets bleeding. Later, him and I got abducted and tortured, then let go, but scarred. They are who we will be fighting. Do you want them to be your final test? You'll have back-up, but they'll be enough to be really freaking hard."

"How hard?"

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being you fighting a lycan and one being you fighting a normal human in hand-to-hand combat, I'd say about a seven. Do you want that to be your final test? I will have my son, who has had as much training as I've been able to give him, and my brother, who is a jack-ass, as back-up, and me. You haven't seen any of us do magic, but I am pretty damn powerful, and so is my son. I am the youngest, as you know, and this is my oldest sibling and I am stronger in magic than him. The magic level, top to bottom, goes me, Wade, my brother. Right now, we're staying at my friend's house, but I think she may be stable enough to live on her own for a while."

"Why isn't she stable?"

"One of my other, more powerful, brothers turned her and her four children into werelions. He's my step-brother."

"Okay then. We'll go to your friend's house, then we'll go from there."

"What do you mean?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what he meant.

"Where are you most comfortable?"

"You know me; I can adapt anywhere, anytime, except interrogation rooms. Those places always smell of something vile."

"You're absolutely right, you can adapt to anywhere; but you said so yourself, I know you and I know you have preferences. Let me reword the question; whose place would you prefer to be at?"

"I'm neutral."

"No, you're not," he stopped us by putting his broad hands on my shoulders. I looked away from his face.

"You're right, I'm not," I kept looking away, then I looked him in the eye; I don't know which either of us liked more. "But I don't know what I prefer. I do want to go home, but I don't want to take Michael, my brother, home. I would love for you to see my house, and I would love to stop taking up Dawne's shop-house-combo, but I don't trust Michael. He reminded me of that earlier. I guess we should just go to my house; I'm just nervous about any mind links he has with my mother, but I should be more concerned now, about Dawne than about myself. My mother can be an evil bitch and do the whole carrot, stick, and donkey act but she forgot the damn carrot so she is just a pain in the ass all every time I'm around her."

"You never get nervous. Maybe we shouldn't do this."

"Me being nervous is actually a good thing; it heightens my senses. Anger is great in fighting, but fear is great with this type of stuff, although getting emotions involved usually clouds you at least a little. I'm fine, I swear. Let's quit focusing on me; you claim to know me so well, yet you give me all the attention. Ha!"

"Well, my life is boring. I'm a construction worker with no wife, no kids, no pet, no girlfriend, nothing."

"Trust me, a boring life is much better than a dramatic one; less emergencies. I admit that I would never give this up for a desk job though. What kind of car do you have?"

"A dirty truck."

I searched the cars along the stretch of road. He said we were about thirty blocks away, and we were somewhere around thirty by know, I think. I scanned the cars, and I found a lot of dirty trucks, some so dirty that I couldn't even distinguish the color.

"Ray, that doesn't narrow it down much. What color is it?"

"Red."

I looked for a red one. I found eight. One had a panting dog in it, so not his; one had someone breaking into it.

"Ray, is that yours?" I pointed to the right car.

"No, mine is right there," he said, pointing to the one that I would probably have looked at next.

20

We got in and drove to Dawne's shop. I saw the kids peeping out the windows...with lion eyes, and my only relief was that they were calm. Wade wasn't even chasing after them; not good.

"Do they-" Ray began a question.

"Have cat eyes? Yeah, and Wade isn't getting them away from the window. If there's another emergency, I'm gonna have a heart attack."

"You said 'if'. What if things are normal?"

"Things are never good, happy, and normal; the world isn't like that. You know that, but if things in there are relatively calm, I'm gonna kill him for not keeping him away from the window; lycans scare people and she's usually open right now. It'd very bad for her business, and if that's his fault, he can split her monthly bills for as long as I see fit."

"What kind of lycan is...your, er-"

"My son? He's not my real son, so your mind doesn't have to worry about me being anyone but yours." The instant I said it, I regretted it; I'd only had sex with a three other people since him. They were human, and they died because of my work so I now avoided dating humans and vampires. Why vampires? I just don't like them; something about them is creepy. All lycan energy is so hot it's almost fiery, whereas a vamp's is glacier-cold.

"My mind, huh? So you have been with other men? Did you find someone else and leave me for him?"

"You know me better than that," I said in a submissive tone and posture; it was so familiar _around_ him, just not _to _him.

"You keep saying that, but do I? Do I, Kat?" He was angry. That made me angry, angry enough to get me dominant.

"You have no right. We both agreed that we would both get out of their as soon as possible! I'm sorry I didn't say good bye, but-"

"But what? You forgot? You forgot about the only person who ever cared about you? I protected you, got the shit beat out of me for _you_!" His voice got louder the longer he talked.

"We protected each other! Remember when I got the broken arm, when you only got a bruise? I got a broken leg and you didn't get a scratch?" I was damn-near close to shouting.

"I got my face damn-near cut off and you got a healing arm? We lost teeth, but you grew them back? I got the shit beat out of me while you hid?" Now, he was shouting.

"Once, when I got stabbed in the stomach with a silver knife, you jack-ass!" I practically screeched it.

"I didn't know that," he said quietly. "You should have told me."

"What would you have done? If I showed you, the others would have seen and kicked your ass even more, then mine. I did the woman's way of protecting a man that day. It hurt like hell, but I had practice hiding and quieting the tears. I made you mad and hid and bled while I healed. I'm sorry you got beat, but it could have been worse, which would suck because I know that was the worst beating you've ever had. It crushed you emotionally, and physically, and I'm sorry. I figured out a way to hide the cut for the month that it took to heal, but it hurt."

"A month? Holy crap, Kat, you should have told me."

"When? Where? The alley we chose wasn't exactly the one we chose; it was the one that was left. In fact, didn't we have to battle our way to get it, but you didn't want to hit a girl so we agreed to share it? Later, didn't you regret your decision or morals of 'not hitting girls'?"

"Yeah, but after that, I didn't, and after that, I really didn't."

"Oh, we're getting dirty here. You want to share that with Dawne, her four kids - the oldest of which is seven, Wade, and Michael, my older brother. He never did like any of my boyfriends."

"I thought I was your first?"

"I never said I actually liked my boyfriends," I muttered nastily and bitterly.

He gave me a questioning and curious look as we walked up the sidewalk to Dawne's shop.

"My sisters always set me up with whoever they thought I might like. If I didn't go out with them, they'd tell Ma about any of the shit I'd been into; sometimes there threats were stuff I hadn't even done. I did enough stuff that'd get me in trouble that they could threaten me with telling her with like any of these ten things, and each of those ten things would be different with each guy. My sisters were close enough to sluts to have a rep and they set me up with enough guys that I came close to that rep." I stuck out my arm in mock fancy walking stuff. "Shall we?"

"We shall," he said, taking my arm.

We walked up the sidewalk and we both tripped. I recovered the fastest, being a lycan, and caught Ray. He looked at me with pure surprise in his eyes, and I burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"H-h-hold on," I said, and even that a few tries as I relearned how to breathe after laughing so hard.

"You okay?" he said, trying to be worried but the laughter in his voice ruined it.

I gave him a thumbs-up, as I leaned on my knees panting like I'd just run.

"I'm fine. I'm better. What did you say again?"

"I...don't remember. Oh well, come on, Ms. Giggles, we need to see how many emergencies one day can have."

"Do you really want to know that one?"

"I don't know. You be the judge of that."

I decided to be a smart-ass.

"Exactly fifteen-hundred, one for every minute of the day."

"I thought there were one-thousand-four-hundred-and-forty minutes in a day."

"There are twenty-five hours in my day. Just because there seem to be twenty-four in yours isn't my problem."

"Kat, Kat, Kat, always my little smart-ass and that'll never change, will it?"

"I wouldn't bet your life on anything, but if you really wanted to bet your life on something, this would be it," I said grinning.

I stepped forward and opened the door, showing off my speed.

"Ah, now I remember. I don't know how I got used to having a lycan-"

"You don't know how you can love a lycan?" My voice was high-pitched and I didn't care.

The door swung shut and I didn't care. I heard something shatter and, just that moment, I didn't care. I just stood there as if I was seventeen again, when I was abducted, helpless, hanging from my waist from the ceiling and only barely conscious. I was conscious enough to feel the lack of feeling in my body, except the whip on my back. I was conscious enough to hear the evil laughter of the Master as he watched me being whipped. I was conscious enough to suffer through Wade's screams. I was barely conscious enough to mutter weak protests for them to stop hurting him. That was then though, and this is now; I am not seventeen, and no one is being tortured.

"No, Kat, that's not what I said, or what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

"It means that I'm used to being around humans and that I don't know how I'll be able to get over being constantly amazed by the speed, agility, and emotion-less killing you seem to have." The last part was bitter.

"Do you want to spend the night outside? I mean, it's spring, so the weather is kinda unpredictable especially at night. You can spend some quality bonding time with Michael if you keep going at this rate. This is the only job I can give you; if you can't handle the occasional need to kill, you can't take up the job. Anyway, I told you, I have to kill more than most other people there. One more thing; I am _not_ an emotion-less killer. I have nightmares about them sometimes, not usually, but sometimes. Since they were all in self-defense, it doesn't bother me, but there was one; it was a cat. She was absolutely crazy, to the point where she didn't believe she was crazy. She killed people literally left and right, without noticed and came up to me and said 'Hi, I'm Sharon. What's your name?' Then, she turned on me. She was a leopard, and it crushed me to kill her because whenever I see leopard now, I think of my best friend who was killed by raiders. She begged for her life and she died suffering as they twisted her arms and legs around and around, but finally got tired of the screaming, crying, and begging. They put a silver knife through her throat and left her there. I had to take some time off work because of that kill. One more thing; if you are squeamish, you can't do this job."

"I'm not squeamish. It's just hard to picture you killing people. I can do it just fine, but the reason I was turned around before was because I didn't want to see my little Kat killing people."

"Right, your defenseless little Kat. You said what you think clearly enough. I'll try to get you a job, but things can't go back to the way they were. They never can, and I'm sorry for that, but things just never can."

"You're right. You're right, about everything. I'm sorry."

"Thank you. Now, let's go, and you are sleeping outside when you get to my house because you just admitted that I was right about _everything_." I could see the silent curses forming in his mind, so I reminded him. "Keep those in your mind, boy, unless you want to train with a dislocated knee."

He smiled a not-so-happy smile and said, "Keep what in my mind?"

"You know exactly what. You keep them in your head until we are out of the shop, but your mouth is as clean as a civie's until then, got it?"

"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!" he mocked. Oh well; it was our form of respecting each other wishes when we were younger, even me to him. I have always been a smart-ass, so we were both Ma'am, yes, Ma'am when we were going to really respect each other's wishes.

"Let's go."

I turned opened the door again without even waiting to see if he was going to follow; he had admitted that I was right that he was sure he could relearn to love a lycan. I might trust him, I might try to get him a job, I might even trust him enough to let him fight with me, but he had gone so far into the doghouse that I wasn't sure he could possibly dig his way out.

"Wade? Dawne? You guys okay?" I called.

"We're fined," Dawne said. "Who's with you?"

"Good job. He's an old friend, but I'm mad at him right now."

I heard Wade coming up on my right.

"How mad?" he said, examining Ray.

"Livid, but he's an old friend who I owe a lot to so I am going to be civil-ish." I had to grind out the last word.

"Kat, come on. Was it the thing you perceived as me not being able to love lycans? Is that what you're mad about?" Ray sounded desperate, as if the argument was more than that, more like a big fight on a big subject that had been going on for half an hour.

Everyone else stopped, even the kids. Wade's smile faded and the happiness in his face and eyes vanished. I couldn't see Dawne, but I could imagine the disapproval there; she may not like being a lycan, but she was one, her kids were lycans, and her best friend was a lycan.

"What did you just say?" Wade said, his voice hollow with disbelief but thick anger.

"Wade, don't worry about it; it's our fight," I tried to say.

"No, Kat, Wade's right. What is your history with this guy? We need to know before we let him here; _I_ need to know before I let him in my shop, because I have every right to legally kick you out. All you have to do is ask," Dawne said.

"We-" Ray started.

"Ray, shut up. No one likes you right now. Go-go outside right now. Let me explain this, and if Dawne lets you, you can come back in."

"And if not?"

"If not, I'll train you with Michael to get your job."

"Where will I go if I get kicked out? I want to stay nearby."

"You lost your apartment. Stay in your car, my car, my house, wherever, just go, but lie to me again, or even hide something like that like what you just did, and I won't find you a job. I'm sorry Ray. I love you and all, but-"

"Go," Wade said softly. Apparently, I was talking too much.

When Ray was gone, I explained how it was when I was on the streets, what we were to each other at first, what we became, all of it. I told them how he was today, and I told them that I didn't say good-bye.

"Why didn't you say good-bye before you left?" Wade asked. "I mean, if a girl did that to me after that long, I'd be broken too."

"Kat, don't tell me you forgot. You claim to forget things, but I know you usually don't, and you wouldn't forget something as obvious and, hell, memorable as saying good-bye to the only boyfriend you ever liked, your protector, your ray of sunshine, your angel, your first love-"

"Dawne, enough with the cheese factor, seriously. I don't know why I didn't say good bye to him."

"Yes, Mama Kat, you do. You're lying to someone here, and it's either me and Dawne, or it's yourself. It's starting to rain outside; where do you want your ray of sunshine?" Wade said, mocking Dawne a little.

"Garage; it's warmish in there and it's kind of a half-way in, half-way out...but make sure your keys and valuable aren't in your garage."

"I don't keep that garage locked; whatever is there isn't important enough to be missed."

"Your cars?"

"I have my keys."

"And?"

"What do you mean?"

"She means that he was raised on the streets; he can hotwire your cars. How much to you care about your cars?" Wade explained so that I wouldn't lose my temper.

"Oh. Um, not as much as I should, I guess. Kat, will he steal my car?"

"If he wants a job, no. If he thinks he won't be getting one, maybe," I said.

"So, what's the plan?" Wade asked.

I gave him a funny look; he always seemed to know what I was thinking.

"You always have a plan. What's the current one?" he asked.

"Oh. We were going to take you, Michael, and Ray to my house to finish your guys' training. I have more weapons at my house, and I'm more familiar with it."

"Okay. Are we still doing that?"

"Yup; the boys can sleep on the porch."

"Okay, let's go."

"Wait, why are you leaving? Are you sure we can handle ourselves and our lions?" Dawne asked, sounding panicky.

I knew what she needed. I called her kids over and told them to show Dawne their eyes.

"Dawne, what is the first thing you sense about their beast when you look into their eyes?" I asked.

"Calmness. They are calm, but what about me; my eyes don't feel like cat eyes. How do I know that I'll be controlled?"

"Dawne, children are the most wild, most unpredictable, and they're fine. If this is as bad as their control get for now, this is great."

"What if I get out of control?"

I turned to Kimber.

"Kimber, if Mommy goes crazy, throw some meat in the garage, wait for her to go in, and lock the door behind her. No matter how long it takes, wait for her to be quiet and calm before you let her out. Can you promise me this?" I said.

"I pwomise." She was tired; she never lost her r's unless she was really tired.

"Thanks, sweetie. Bye you guys; come on, Wade. I'll see everyone some other time."

"But Mama Kat, that's not even a good bye."

"I said bye. Let's go; I'm in a crappy mood, and I want to kill something. Let's make it some unlucky plant, or indestructible rock, and not living things who are close to me who have emotions. Let's go."

"You go get Michael; I want to get Ray myself for the lycan comment."

"He's driving his own car; how do you think I got here?"

"Um, walked like you said?" He looked puzzled.

"Shit. Throw him into his car as gently as you want to, then remind me to explain why I wasn't gone for like twenty minutes."

I walked out back toward Michael, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him to my car. I threw him in my trunk as a joke; I have a body in my trunk now. He protested at first, but I let my power out and made it give the impression of a wet dog shaking the water from its coat. He shut up then and let himself be thrown everywhere; I can make my power burn some people like acid if I want to sometimes, and this was one of those times.

Wade was already in the passenger seat, but I heard whimpers and moans coming from the car near us. I would have been worried, but I had good hearing so it was fine, and he kinda deserved it.

"So, why were you gone for," he looked at his imaginary watch on his left wrist. "Three hours?"

"My old childhood bully sicced some halfies on me and Ray. I told Ray to stay back; he was on my good side then and I didn't want him hurt. I killed all five of the halfies, but I got caught, and interrogated. When they were done, they were going to put me into a room I had smelled before and it is an awful, awful smell. I asked to be put in a holding cell, and the officer just didn't want to let me out. I had to get out without doing much damage, which took effort, but I managed. I did meet a Sun Ally though, but he was a rapist."

"That all took three hours?"

"Well, I went to see my old boss, then the kids, then the slaughter, the cops, the walk to his car, the drive here, so yeah, about three hours. Let's go."

"Hey, take the sharp way, so that he can do crap to his car."

I gave him a look, and I don't even know what it was.

"Hey, I'm just saying, it would be funny and you can't really mess this car up much more."

"Wade, what is your problem with this car? It transports me and my weapons when it needs to, and that's all it needs to do. I don't care if it looks bad, or if it doesn't always run great, but you can always ride with Michael or Ray, or not at all if you want? That's always an option."

"No, the car is fine, it's just what you said; good for what it needs to do and not much else."

"Out! You can go hunt, but I expect you home, on the porch within ten minutes of us coming home. And, we'll see how you like your own advice; open your door and get out, Wade. Now!"

I swerved as I said 'Now!' but he didn't do anything I told him to; he knew better. I had fits of anger like this sometimes and he used to do exactly as I told him to, and we both regretted it after, but we soon learned that I didn't actually mean any of it, but it felt good to just say stuff like that. The way I raised him, though, must take a lot for him to defy me as calmly and surely as he did.

I took a breath and we sat in silence for the rest of the trip.

When we got to the house, I stopped the car well before it was time to stop; someone was burning it down.

"Shit! Mama Kat, what are we gonna do now? Everything you have is-"

"Shut up, Wade! I am going to have to kick something's ass; might as well be the fire's freedom while I get all my weapons. I can try to use the elements I need while I get my things from the house. Get Michael from the trunk and give him some air; he's going to be my energy if I need it. If he cries magical uncle, I'll find more. Don't tell him about Ray just yet; he'll be pissed and it'll take up his energy, that I may need. Tell Michael after, then he can go after Ray, if I give the okay, but not until then. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Shit!" Ray muttered from his car.

"Stay in your car, Ray; I'll handle this," I yelled and not even bothering to keep the pissy tiredness out of my voice.

He sighed and sat back down, but didn't close his door. Wade unbuckled his seatbelt. Ray hurriedly closed his door and put his seatbelt on. Realizing that Ray was more afraid of Wade than he was of me, I walked over with a menace of annoyance floating with me. When I reached his car, I tapped on Ray's window and pointed down. He hesitated, then put it down.

"If you should be afraid of anyone on this side of things, the good-guy side, it's me; Wade and Michael, and probably anyone else on my side who comes along, all answer to me. I give the okay to them; we live in a hierarchy, and even though we live in a queendom thing, power determines who is the most powerful. Anyone can challenge the queen and whoever wins is leader. I can challenge my mother, but I don't want to be leader. Sometimes you don't need a challenge to show who is the most powerful; sometimes, you can just let out your power."

He looked confused.

"Did you see Michael?"

He just shook his head.

"Michael," I barked, calling him over. He came. "Ray, who looks stronger? If you had to judge just by appearances, who would you think was the strongest, me or Michael?"

"Michael," he said, pointing to Michael. It made sense; I was a small woman, five feet tall, no visible muscles, nerdy looking. Michael obviously lifted weights and had that feel that he could handle himself in a fight.

"Makes sense. Michael, let out your power and let Ray feel it."

Michael did so, ignoring all pronouns.

"Okay, what about it?" Ray asked.

"Michael, reign it in; I'm letting mine out, gently in your direction. You'll learn why it's not so gently for him later."

"Kat, you're not still mad-" Ray started, but couldn't get another word in after I let my power in.

Michael was probably feeling pretty relaxed, happy, and warm. He might want to give me a hug at that moment, but wouldn't for two reasons; I didn't like hugs much, and was surrounded by negative energy. The cool thing was that I was powerful enough that I could send out all charges of energy out, all at once; negative, neutral, and positive. My positive energies felt really good, my negative energies felt really bad, and my neutral energies just felt power. I reigned in my power before my weapons were all destroyed, ran into my house, but first whispered to things; "I'm sorry, Michael," and "Remember this, Ray, remember what I said."

Michael looked confused but happy, still high on my energies. I put Ray out of the pain of it, but kept Michael happy as long as I could before I sucked it out; it would hurt.

21

I came into what was my house probably lass than half an hour ago, but was now walls of fire. I searched for the things that I knew were there, and sometimes found balls, or little piles, of fire and sometimes found nothing but ash or burn marks. I went for my favorite weapons first, hoping they wouldn't be in too bad condition. I tripped over something on my way to my knife kit; I looked down to see what it was. I saw a little girl, probably burned alive. As I looked more closely, I saw that it was the girl who introduced herself to me as Sav, and she had a note shoved into her mouth. It was open in a scream, I could see that, but whoever put the note in had opened her mouth further and broken her jaw. I grabbed the note and shoved it in my pocket.

I got the rest of my weapons, finding the rest of the Unlucky Seven, all with various messages in various forms. Rickie had a knife _in _her hand with a price tag on one side and a note on the other. Mal had a message in a bottle shoved up 'special girl area'. Ronnie had been strangled by a messenger bag, with a big note saying 'NOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT EVERYTHING IN.' signed with a happy face. Lizzie had a hole burned through her hand and a message tied to that; I grew a claw and just took the message off the string. Cass was tied up with her note on the end of it; she looked more burned than the rest. Jessie's note was in a pill bottle half-way down his throat.

I got outside with the bag of stuff in one hand and my own bag in the other. Wade ran up to me, but Michael kind of staggered.

"Mama Kat, what happened in there? You didn't respond to any of our yells, and you're pale. What happened?" Wade said.

"Kat, you could have warned me that you were going to take my energy before you went in there!" Michael yelled hoarsely. I must've taken more than I thought.

"Ray! Get your ass over here!" I yelled angrily.

"Why are you bringing him over here?" Wade whined.

"Oh, quit your bitching. He'll help Michael because I'll tell him to; if he doesn't mean what he said, he can help," I said evilly, but not telling Michael what Ray said. "Michael, don't take too much; he's only human. I'll give you extra later, enough to heal all the way, and more."

"Thank you."

"Hurry up, Ray!"

"I'm coming."

When he came up, I started on him.

"Do you want to apologize for what you said?"

"Yes, you know I didn't mean it."

"No, I don't, but you can start by giving some of your energy to my brother."

"How do I do that?"

"Let him touch you."

"Um, okay. Where?"

I smiled, and added some innuendo to annoy Michael a little. "Wherever he wants."

Lycans also don't care; we can touch anywhere, even naked, and it doesn't have to be sexual. Michael is a homophobic, so I have fun with it, but he figured out my game a while ago and sprinkled on my parade a while ago. I say sprinkled because it doesn't annoy him as much, but if you watch him carefully, you can see the skin around his eyes get kinda tight and sometimes when it gets bad enough, you can even smell his anger like fireworks on the fourth of July.

"Please don't pull; I'm very heterosexual, and kind of homophobic," Ray said.

Damn, another one. Why? Maybe that's a good indicator of if I'll get along with a man in the future; is he a homophobic. No? I'll get along with you great stay! Yes? Oh, sorry, you have to go!

"Don't worry; so am I. Give me like a hand or an arm or your forehead or something. I...just need some...energy," Michael gasped.

"Geez, Mama Kat, how much did you take?" Wade asked.

"Not this much; I would know it. He's losing energy still and I'm not taking anything. What's going on?"

"What was wrong that made you pale? You're never pale," Wade asked as Michael fed on Ray's energy.

"The Unlucky Seven; they were burned alive, and they all had messages in them. One girl even had a bottle up her, um, area. One of the girls was strangled with this bad," I said, waving the bag.

"Why are you carrying it?" Michael asked, more energized.

"Because I needed to carry the messages in something, and the message that came with this said 'NOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT EVERYTHING IN.' in big letters. The other bag is mine, and it has my weapons and the few things I want from my house. I-"

I fell to the ground, with a huge unexpected pain from my core; someone was trying to control not me exactly. Someone was trying to control my beast.

"Kat, are you okay? You didn't mention energy loss. What's wrong?" Michael said, a little freaked.

I took a held up a finger, gathered power inside me, and made a cage for my beast. It would hold until the moon. Hopefully whoever was behind this would be gone by the time the moon came. They waited patiently as I got up, taking deep breaths, calming my inner tigress.

"Someone found a way to get to my tiger and tried to control her, or rip her out, or something, but it hurt, and if I were at the level of power that is average for my age, I may have died or been hospitalized at least, probably comatose. I don't know though."

"I don't know if I can get used to this. I am going to find a new place to live, a new job, a new girl to get used to, new standards," Ray said tiredly, as if this was a conversation he'd been having in his head for a long time.

"You just insulted me, my family, my subspecies, and my entire species as a whole, for the _second time_, Ray! You had better work on that!" Wade yelled.

"What? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Michael asked angrily. "He's said this before?"

"A milder version," I muttered.

"No one says anything like that about my sister or my queen or my species!" Michael said, starting after Ray in a walk that could easily lead into the easiest killing stance in the world. I jumped in his way.

"No, Michael! I owe him, and I repay my debts."

"What do you owe him?"

"When we were kids-"

"How much more damage did you take than him? Did he protect you to look brave, and then later you got brave and you protected each other and you took more damage? How much damage did you take for him, and him for you?"

"If you do it in human ratio-"

"No, Kat. How much?"

"Fine. Go," I said quietly, stepping aside.

"No, answer the question."

"I probably took more, with more broken bones. He bled more, he stood up for me."

"He take your virginity?"

I smiled. "You know that one of Carrell Anne's boyfriends, oh I mean ex-boyfriend, did that before I left. She was the closest to my age, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Did you take his?"

"No; if we were both virgins when we came to the streets, we would have left as virgins. The alley that we stayed in was really open; it was all that was left, so unless we wanted group rape, we would stay apart that way."

He kissed the top of my head, then walked over to Ray and punched him in the face. If he put all his strength behind that punch, Ray's head probably would have spun at least four-hundred-and-fifty degrees, if not more. As is was, Michael knocked Ray to the ground. We all flocked him, listened for his heartbeat to make sure it was relatively healthy; it was, so we left.

I felt a little twang in my stomach. I instinctively grabbed Wade; Michael saw and touched my shoulder gently, making contact. I wanted to shrug him off, but thought better of it; the more tiger energy to help me with this, the better and I would definitely need help with this. I just hope it didn't drain anyone too heavily...Except, maybe, the person doing this. I reinforced the cage, but made it bigger. It covered more area, but I also doubled and tripled the shields on it. My tigress could run freer, but be more out of reach of whoever was trying to get her...or me or whatever.

I almost collapsed again, and maybe would have if the men weren't there to catch me, but they were, so I was safe from any deep, deep pits that end with pointy spikes at the bottom, or so I thought. I asked, and they were pretty sure I was safe, but if that was happening, then I needed to be worried about the who and the why, not if they could catch me, because they would. I totally agreed with their logic as we sat down to look through the notes and nasty items.

"Okay, this one was in Sav's mouth," I said, pulling it out of my pocket.

"What do you mean?" Wade asked.

"I mean that it was dark and I wasn't watching where I was going and she had a note shoved into her mouth. The container was her screaming mouth, then they broke her jaw by opening it more. Now, do we want to read these today, or do we want to play twenty questions with every note?"

"We want to read them all as soon as we can," Michael said quickly.

"Thank you." I read Sav's aloud,

I'M SURE YOU LOVED THE SPONK I HAD, BUT

I'M DEAD NOW. I'M SURE THE OTHER KITTIES WILL

LOVE YOU. YOU SHOULD TALK TO BRIANNA, AND TELL HER

THIS SAD STORY WAS CAUSED BY DON. SHE MIGHT

GIVE YOU A PROTECTION, AND SHE MAY KICK YOU

OUT. TAKE YOUR CHANCES BECAUSE THIS IS THE

ONLY TIME I WILL EVER HELP YOU. THE NEXT

TIME I SEE YOU, I'LL BE KILLING YOU.

We read the rest to rest to ourselves, but they all said pretty much the same thing; description of the kid, always something about other cats, no matter how subtle. They all had different names. Roland for Kels; Tyrell for Rosalie; Alec for Evie; Edwardo for Jules; Danny for Lenna; Lee for Tiana.

"So, what does this mean?" Wade asked.

"It means that we have to find a female cats whose names match up with theses notes. We don't even know if these are real. I mean, I could go to a strip club, ask for a job and maybe get it, and name myself Bambi if I wanted to, but it would be a stage name. It's really common for lion prides to have strip clubs around here, but their businesses range a lot. Hell, it doesn't even have to be the lions; there are all kinds of cats around here, but like me, they keep to themselves. If one of us causes trouble, I'll put a stop to it but until then..." I trailed off.

"If it was strip club, it would be online," Michael said.

"Okay, and if my real name was Bambi, would it be online then?"

"What are you trying to say, Kat?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"We need to find a lion pride with these girls' names in it; I know all the lion prides around, but you're all male, but I'm more familiar with the area. I'm going to have to go."

"Mama Kat, I'm coming with you!" Wade said defiantly. "I can claim the cub role, which I am. I can learn how lion cubs act."

"Cubs your age are usually not cubs anymore; lion cubs of your maturity are usually hunting for a mate and/or pride. The fact that you're still living with me shows a lot of weakness."

"What about the role of a wolf cub?"

"First, we have to figure out what kind of cat they are, then we have to find them. After that, we can worry about roles; you can be body guards if you want. Unfortunately, these names are pretty common."

"You said you knew all the lycans in the area," Michael said.

"No, I said I knew that there are a lot of cats here and that they keep to themselves. I didn't say I knew them all."

"How do you know that there are a lot of cats here?"

"She smells them, Michael. At work, when she's doing her job, when she's in town, she can smell them. I thought you were a cat?"

"I am."

"You must have failed Cat 101 then, because that is definitely not even close to Cat 102 or 103 or further," Wade said, laughing a little.

Michael slapped him in the shoulder; Wade feigned dying; Michael rolled his eyes.

"Grow up, you two," I chastised. "I can ask around at work, look at the strip clubs, but that's it."

"Ooh, can we do the clubs first?" Michael asked, excitedly.

"Wade's too young."

"I know some people."

"In one hour?"

"In five minutes."

"You know people in this city who can make fake-"

"I had one made for me, and they are really good; I would have to pay her a lot more, but she can make one real quick and have it look legit. He can keep his first name, but not his last; same with you."

"Fine, but money won't be a problem if she's interested in her life."

"Kat, I owe her a lot; I ask her for ID's and pay for them fair and square. Killing her the way you kill people-"

"I kill people all kinds of ways; quick and messy, quick and clean, slow and messy, slow and clean, quick and painful, slow and painful, all kinds of ways."

"Okay. Killing her would be no way to repay her; paying her for IDs is, and she puts other orders aside, keeping me in her debt. She is a smart woman. She also makes them faster and better than any others. The price is never consistent, but Mom always pays for them, so I'm good. If we ask for three, let's hope she doesn't charge me too heavily."

"Is she a lycan?"

"Yep, but she's cool."

"Um, okay, since she is your friend, we kinda figured you'd say that," Wade said.

"I never said she was my friend," Michael said darkly.

"Never mistake debts payments as friendship. Sometimes it works that way, sometimes it doesn't," I told Wade.

"Let's go see her," Michael said. He looked at the car and said, "Where'd you get that piece-"

"Don't talk about the car; I've said enough."

"I love your car, Kat. The trunk could do with some padding though; when you swerve like that, it hurts."

"Good job, Michael. You wouldn't have been in the trunk if hadn't pissed me off."

"Um, what exactly did I do to piss you off so bad?" he asked, pointing to his face.

"You know exactly what you did."

"No, actually I don't."

"Well then you're stupider than I thought," I said airily; I didn't actually know what had pissed me off so royally so I had to be mean.

"Hey, be nice. Let's go find these girls, but let's go see Loki," Michael said.

"Loki? As in the Scandinavian god? Is that her birth name or a nickname?" Wade asked.

"Naming yourself after a god is frowned upon; nicknaming someone after a god without really good reason is also frowned upon; naming your kid after a god is frowned upon unless they were born in said god's temple and the parents are firm believers in the religion. I told you what 'frowned upon' usually means," I said.

"Killing them? Well she was nicknamed 'Loki' after how many people she tricked; she does create fake IDs for a living and hundreds of people turn to her for an ID. She is Scandinavian and is a believer. She is also an otter lycan, and her name, Odell, means otter. Otters are natural tricksters. The Fates must have had something to do with her, I swear, because I don't believe in this high a coincidence. I didn't believe in the Fates until you told me, and it this all hadn't occurred to me until just now. Kat, you can't be my sister, and we can't have the same last names."

"Got it. You and Wade go to Loki and I'll see what I can find out about the cats. We can meet each other when we're done. I'll probably be the longest, so-"

"No, you have to come with us; she has to see you in order to get a good one, and she does only the best for us."

"Here is my driver's license. It looks just like me, see?" I said, pulling it out. It actually had me with my top canines extended, with my claws out of my fingers, hands over my head like I was a monster about to attack or something. I also made my eyes and sides of my face very tiger. Me and Wade walked out of there laughing; I think the person taking the picture wet her pants. I went in the next day and transformed my head. I went in again, speaking Croatian and had my paws fully transformed. I got kicked out of the place, so the next time I have to renew my license, I have to find another one. Maybe I can scare everything shitless there too.

"What the hell?" Michael asked.

"It had to be renewed; I was bored and it's more accurate like this, anyway."

"Okay, she's going to need you human."

"That is human."

"Full-blooded human."

"No such thing," I said, trying to start our age-old argument.

"Oh, please, we don't have time for this argument. I love how we each come up with new points each time, but it never ends," Michael said. You would have thought I was his ex-wife and had brought up some other argument we had just gone over.

"What argument?" Wade perked up, curious.

"She thinks that there is no such thing as a full-blooded human if they all are as they say they are. They are human; it is a fact," Michael said. He was looking at me and talking through gritted teeth at the last part.

"I know that, Michael, and I agree. The word 'inhumane' can mean 'not humane.' The word 'humane' means 'actions characterized by kindness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals.' So, by their own definitions-"

"Good one; we all know that not every human is humane though. Got something for that?"

"Yeah, actually-"

"Guys, I'm sure this argument started when time was born, and will end when she dies, but we have to go see Loki or Odell or whatever her name is right now." He glared at Michael because he wasn't dominant enough to glare at me, and said, "And I don't want to hear any of this argument on the way there, got it?"

"You are not my dominant, mali vuk!" Michael said angrily.

"We'll see. Later," Wade said, and turned around to the car. If he was wearing a cloak, it would have been billowing.

"I think he's more powerful, Mikey," I reminded him.

"Not yet, he's not."

"I don't know. Right now is not the time for power crap though, now on our side anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"This is a fight, Michael; another word for fight can be war. We don't have time for power crap on our side of this war. Go, now."

"War? Seriously?"

"There are seven dead bodies on the ground, and probably one future dead. The girls in the notes may be girlfriends of dead men, or we may be unknowingly giving them a message that they're about to die. Let's go see your damn otter and find these girls before there are more dead; she had better be as fast as you say she is. I don't care about quality; I care about speed."

"I'll tell her that, but remember those sayings; 'haste makes waste,' 'unreasonable haste is the direct road to error-"

"Okay, I get it, but seriously. I want them done fast."

"They will be good, and fast."

"Can I threaten her to make them better, faster, and cheaper?"

"She may do two out of three, but never all of them. She would do faster and cheaper in a heartbeat and make them crap, and if you make the threat good enough, she may do faster and better, but she will do much more expensive. Why don't you just leave her alone?"

"Doesn't she just have to take my picture?" I asked, suddenly tired.

"Yes, then you can look for the cats. I will wait with Wade while you hunt for them."

"No, Wade is coming with me; I'd make you come with me too, but you have to wait around for them."

"He's too young to get into any strip clubs."

"Yeah, and lion strip clubs don't let in female customers; they're going to have to make some exceptions. Let's go; Wade gets choice of seats."

"What? He's more powerful than me, no power stuff, and seat choice? What am I? A cub? Last I checked, that's what he was."

"Next time, get in the car first. That's the rule; whoever is in the car first gets seat organizer choice, so go."

"So I get no choice?"

"Neither do I, but I get veto over you or me."

"So I get no choice."

"Not really, no, but voice your opinion to the entire car, and we'll see who agrees with your opinion. Get it?"

He just walked to the car. Wade was already in the driver's seat; he knew the rule and put me in the back. Michael saw it as a reward, until he found out the seat belts had a trick to them, that we wouldn't tell him. Unfortunately, the back had no seat, just flooring; ideal for cargo and weapons and bodies, when the need arose; awful for riding.

I made Michael wear a seat belt but finally had to do it for him when the wall of the car started to pull toward him as he pulled on the belt. Wade had been cracking up the entire time; I slapped him on the back of the head for making me help Michael, which made him laugh harder while rubbing his head in pain. It confused the hell out of all of us, I think.

Once Wade had his laughter under control, he drove away. At first, he forgot about the flooring-it-to-get-it-started part of the car, so we sat for a few minutes so that the car could recover from 'Wade Being An Idiot' but we were finally able to make the two-hour drive to the otter's work. It didn't help that Wade made about five wrong turns and seemed to drop half his brain cells somewhere because he forgot to check the gas tank a few times, and didn't fill it up all the way when we did stop for gas. He also missed turns, and didn't go when the light turned green, ran reds, and was an idiot for the drive that should have been only an hour-fifteen with traffic, and a bit more with heavy traffic. I forbade him to drive my car after that. He argued 'how can I get better without practice?' I said 'Practice on someone else's car, when they have more time, period.'

22

We walked into a room that reminded me of car garage attached to someone's house, just a little one. She had a lot of high-tech-looking gadgets and gizmos that I would never know the names of, or ever want to; not my area of interest. I glanced around as if I was semi-interested in the stuff, then looked at her, square in the eyes. She looked back, wiping her hands on a rag. It looked like one of those rags that you see at car repair places, and her hands looked like their hands do, too. Now, I wonder how these machines work.

Loki, or Odell, looked about four-foot-eight and had long, straight black hair, which went to her waist and slightly contrasted against her cream-white skin. I would have pegged her as Mexican if I didn't know she was Scandinavian. Probably one Mexican parent, one Scandinavian parent, not that it mattered to me in the slightest, just interesting.

"Hey, otter," I said, using an old greeting; hundreds of years ago, lycans would greet each other not by name, but by species. To do so in later years would be to show intelligence of them, or to mock them. This was to mock her, and to show intelligence. Sometimes it showed disrespect, and it showed power, courage, and confidence in the person calling the other by their species name.

Her eyes gave me a cold flash that animals and sociopaths can give that says 'I'm going to kill you.'

"How did you know I was otter?" She nodded her head in Michael's direction. "He tell you?"

"Yeah, but I figured it out before he did, little otter."

"What can I do for you today..." She sniffed the air and her eyes lit up. "Min kattunge katt?"

"Ah, so you know your Scandinavian better than your...Mexican? side, because that was Swedish. Which language are you more comfortable in, English, Spanish, or Swedish?"

"Har dina vanner sinne?" _Do your friends mind?_

I shrugged. "Do you guys care what language we speak?"

"I understand every language you do, Kat," Michael said.

"No you don't," I said absently.

"I'd rather know everything that's being said, if that's all right," Wade said.

I gave him thanking eyes; I didn't know Swedish as well as other languages, and I also wanted everyone to know what was being said.

"I guess my son minds."

"But, Michael, my favorite," she jumped down from where she was standing. "Customer said he doesn't mind."

"Well, Wade does. It had to be unanimous."

"Guys, I thought you were going to speak English," Wade said.

"We-" I stopped. I hadn't said 'we', but 'Vi', the Swedish word for 'we.' Odell simply smirked.

"¿En cuántos idiomas sabes, mi gatito gato," she said. Spanish this time. _How many languages do you know, my kitty cat?_

"Lots, and I am not yours; if anyone belongs to anyone, it's you to me, prey. Tigers are higher on the food chain than otters. Now, Michael wanted an ID when he came; he wants two more now. One for me, one for my son."

"Ah yes, I almost forgot the others were here; how very careless of me. But you're a tiger, like my Michael, are you?"

"I am nothing and everything like Michael."

"And what, pray tell, does that mean?"

"It means that I'm in a mess that gets anyone involved killed, so get out as soon as you can, and make them good and charge what they're worth, or even give us a discount for not killing you. Three IDs, good ones, and we'll try to get you out of this mess."

"What kind of mess have you pulled me into, Min Stora Katt?" she asked, looking at Michael.

"Don't look at me."

"Look at the cats in general; I don't know exactly who, but some cat or cats are killing people and they're after me for some reason. I just need the IDs to change my name and his age," I said, jerking my thumb at Wade.

She nodded, scared. Her heart was fluttering like a butterfly, which was saying something; it take a lot to scare an otter.

"You know something," Wade said.

"I know nothing of this mess of yours, but I know that I am going to make you IDs and you are going to pay me for Michael's ID."

"Because of the not-killing-you discount," I said softly, and wasn't sure if it was a question.

"Yes, because I don't die by your hand if I make these."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

She made the IDs and they looked just like my driver's license, just more like a normal person. Michael was right; she was good, and it only took an hour. I actually waited around while she made them, and I have not idea why. She charged Michael a lot extra for his, but she had to do three for free. We had to restrict her speaking so that she had to avoid every subject about me, Michael, Wade, and everything that was special to us. She said it was pretty standard, but that she had never had it done in a spell before; usually people just asked her to do that stuff. She said she was fine with it, as long as it kept her alive. Michael felt bad about it and Wade wanted to do the spell himself. I told him 'Maybe when you're older.' Everyone, except Wade, laughed.

I told her that I would come talk to her sometime when someone wasn't trying to kill me.

"How often you need IDs?" she asked.

"At the rate that the licensing places are kicking me out, maybe I'll need them every three years."

"What you mean?"

I pulled out my real license. "I like to have fun. I can't shift very often, unless I'm on the job, or hunting, which is limiting, so every time I get a new license, I scare the photographer shitless, and they kick me out. It's actually pretty consistent. Would you actually do my driver's license?"

"I would do you one that would easily not change pictures."

"Aw, come on. I love to shift my teeth and claws and scare people shitless."

"Is that real, or did you like bring that in?"

"It's real."

"Show me."

"Not now; no time."

"It can't take too much time, can it?"

"You'd be surprised. I've gotta go. Bye, otter."

"My name is Loki."

"Odell, or otter. Pick; mortals don't go by god's names, not from my mouth."

"I hate both."

"Bye, otter."

I ran to the car.

"Bye, Min Kattunge Katt."

"Bye, Moj Vidra."

She smiled.

I got in the car, driver's side, and sent the boys to the back with two words and one pissy tone; 'Back, now!' They got in the back because I told them to and we were in a hurry, but when I started driving, they started complaining. I had expected it, so I didn't shut them up immediately; it wouldn't be fair...right?

"Mama Kat, why can't one of us sit in the front?"

"Because there's no room in the front."

"What are you talking about? There's plenty of room!" Michael said, angry.

"She means that she's upset. Sometimes, she lets her power come out to play when she's upset, and when that happens, she sometimes lets it play too much. We don't want her to let it play too rough on accident. You can climb in front but it's at your own risk, Michael. Myself, I love the front seat, but I'm staying right here," Wade said slowly, cautiously, as if he thought I was about to bite his head off.

"Exactly," I breathed.

I could almost feel Michael's brightness die, like I would be able to see a flame go out in a candle, or a smile leave someone's face like someone just wiped it. Sudden and immediate seriousness replaces all of those things.

"How rough can your power play?"

"Remember Ray?"

"That bad?"

"Worse."

"How much worse."

"Worse."

"That's all you're going to say? Just 'worse'?"

"Yes, now shut up or get out."

He shut up.

We had all agreed to hit the strip clubs first; it was easier...Or that was the surface logic. Since men were involved in the equation, there was _definitely_ another reason. The closest club to Otter's shop, Icon of Desire, was half an hour away and we packed. I had another walk ahead of me; fun.

"What?" Wade asked.

"What?" I asked.

"What?" Michael asked, confused.

"I felt a surge of power; it was from Mama Kat, definitely. It's been the same amount, different energy types, but this was a new surge, and negative. What's wrong?" Wade said, explaining to us all, and asking me what he wanted to know.

"Another walk ahead of me; earlier it was the same crap, and now it's something new. It's time to practice those shields, Wade, because it's going to be a stressful evening."

"It's time to practice that control, Mama Kat, because it's going to be a stressful evening," he chided. "Ow, okay. I get it, I get it. Sorry."

"I didn't mean to. You are damn powerful; shield better than a son of a bitch."

"Three?"

"Seven, to honor the girls," I said, my voice suddenly sad.

"Good enough for me; the better I shield the better I feel, and the more I honor them."

"I told you he was more powerful than you, Michael."

"Magic is not all to dominance," Michael said and got out.

"Cryptic bastard," Wade said and followed Michael.

I packed on all my weapons, although I'd probably be stripped at the door anyway, no pun intended. I put on the bag that had strangled and killed Ronnie, because we had put the messages in it. Kinda morbid, I know, but we didn't want to come to a strip club with fists full of little papers that had psycho-killer death-teases written on them. We also put the other items that the messages came in, unless it was directly from their bodies.

The back door opened and I jumped damn-near out of my skin. Me, jumpy?

"You coming, Kat?"

"Almost done packing."

"You know, it's just a strip club; we're not going to-"

"Michael, it's a club; clubs are dangerous in my line of work. I'll probably be stripped at the door so I'm hiding this stuff as carefully as possible. Anyway, I'm mostly just packing up the messages right now."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask another one, yeah."

"How dangerous is this?"

"Do you want me to sugar-coat it, or do you want it straight?"

He grimaced, hesitated.

"Shit! Mama Kat! Lion, in the club, attacking, come quick!"

"Shit, Michael, out of the way!"

I got my badge out, the one that got me past cops, reporters, everyone; it was a nice badge to have. Unfortunately, it only usually got me past bodyguards and bouncers; usually, but not always. I ran up to the doors to the club, pulling weapons out from who knows where...wait, I know where, but only barely.

"Hey, we can't let you in here!" one of the bouncers said; must be new.

"Dude, do you feel like getting him? He looks new; she looks like she's not new at her job, it's her job, and I think we have to let her past. Go right ahead, Miss..." the other bouncer said.

"Kat. Thanks."

"Kat? Wait, Kat? _The_ Kat! Shit! Why are you here?" the second one said.

"I'll talk to you in a few minutes, okay."

"You sound sure you'll come back," the first one said suspiciously.

"Bouncer Number Two can explain my rep to Bouncer Number One, but for now, move!"

"Okay," BNO (Bouncer Number One) said obediently, moved, then looked uncomfortable. I had accidentally just pulled a total dominance card on him.

"Sorry. Thanks," I moved past them and into the building. Behind me, I heard BNT (Bouncer Number Two) explaining my reputation to BNO. I raised my voice as loud as it would go, and even made it echo using my still-present power a little. I shoved my force field onto the lion.

"Everyone! The lion is under control, but get the hell out, in an orderly fashion."

They all ran without a care for anyone or anything except getting outside and away from the lion. I tamped down my voice and turned to the strippers.

"Girls, do you live here, or what?"

They looked at each other.

"We live wherever, but in an emergency, we live here. Who are you, and why couldn't J-the bouncers take care of this?" one of the girls asked, the third one from the right. There were eight.

"Because I pulled a dominant. I can't hold this shield for long, especially if what they said is true; is he new?"

She sniffed the air and nodded. I cursed in my head and folded my power thickly over my force field.

"You are powerful. I ask again, who are you?"

"Oh, right, that. My name is Kat. I'm not going to kill anyone, except maybe him if he gets out of hand."

"You have males outside. One is like you. The other is like you, but different, but powerful," the fourth girl in from the right said.

"Yeah, their is a tiger and a wolf. The wolf is the one who is like me, but powerful, and the one who is simply like me is a weak-ass tiger. I can find you a lion who is powerful, wanted, crazy, a rapist, and more, if you want, but I doubt that's who you want."

"How powerful? As powerful as you?"

"Not even close."

"Well, no, not if he is crazy, wanted, a rapist, and more. If he were even as powerful as your wolf, then we might consider it; our Xantara, our lion queen, as our Sajay is would be our lion king, if we had one. If we had a Sanjay, our Xantara's title would be Shamira, but she has all responsibilities of the pride, so she must take the other title. Wait, am I explaining myself for a good reason, or are you the Kat who ran at age thirteen whose mother ran her household as a lionpride?" the girl who spoke first said, blushing.

"I am that Kat, but she didn't run the queendom quite as much like a pride as I've heard. I do know most of our," I looked for the right word. "Structures. She made us learn them, but I didn't come here for a lesson for either of us, or to put this big bad lion in a time out; hold on for just a second while I do just that, before he throws too big a temper tantrum."

I let my power have enough negative energy so that his breathing was uncomfortable, but not dangerous. I did a magical sucker-punch and knocked him out, then brought my power back in.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" one of the girls asked. I didn't see which one it was.

"No; just knocked out. You can check his pulse if you like; it's slow, but relatively healthy. He'll be hurting a little and have a sore throat, maybe a bruise on his face when he wakes up, but he'll live."

"Sore throat? Bruised face?"

"I let my power make his breathing non-life-threateningly uncomfortable, and I magically sucker-punched him to knock him out. He's fine, with no blood on your carpets. Now, I would love to know your names and I also want to talk to your Xantara, but I make no demands."

"Very nice, for only a queen may make a demand," said a voice from behind me.

"You aren't the Xantara," I said, already going for another weapon and extending my claws a little further.

"Now that is a very offensive. I am the Xantara here, and you cannot say-"

"Then we must exchange the proper greeting, from leader to leader. Since my mother is not here, and there is no one higher in command in the tiger community, we need to greet each other as the leaders we are, do we not?" I smiled, and it was not a kind smile at all. I heard one of the girls behind us giggle.

"Fine. I am not Xantara here; I do not even know who you are, but I know truth from lie, and I know the powerful from the weak. You are telling the truth, and you are powerful."

"Gee, thanks. Am I supposed to feel all gushy and proud inside to hear the truth from someone lower than myself? I know truth from lie myself, but I also like to play, like a cat with a mouse. I know powerful from weak, like predator with prey. Understand?"

She gulped and nodded.

"What do you need here?"

"I want to finish what I was doing."

"Which was?"

"Names, of every cat in the place; everyone else can go."

"Why?"

"Because I said so. What's your name?"

"Katelin, Katelin Walsh."

"Okay. You can go."

"Why? Are you looking for anyone specific?"

"Yeah, actually, I am, which is why I need your Xantara."

"Okay. You can see her."

"Thank you."

"Follow me, but she may see the leader thing as a challenge."

"Generally it is seen as an honor for the guest to greet a host with such a greeting."

"Our Xantara does not like those things."

"Ah, well I will offer it anyway; it is how I was raised."

She offered me a smile, "Is that why you did not offer it to me?"

"I knew you were not she."

"So you offered me the leaders' greeting because you knew I would not know what it was, so I would have to back down?"

"Even if you did know what it was, it would be a grave insult to your Xantara to greet me in such a way."

She studied my face for a moment.

"You're right."

She led me up the stairs to what was probably the offices or rooms for private dances, or both. I don't know; I don't go to strip clubs. Katelin opened a door that was second to last; makes a lot of sense; corner tends to have windows and bad guys attack windows a lot, and the back is easily protected. Unfortunately, it's also the perfect trap. They probably have that covered though. Katelin knocked on the door and was answered with an 'enter.' I went in ahead of Katelin as the more dominant leader, and she didn't trust me at her back or the one closest to the only exit.

23

"Greetings, lovely Xantara. I'm sorry we are not here on a social call, but I have business to discuss. My name is Kat Madea."

"Ah, the well-known kitty cat. I am Xantara Brianna, Xantara of the Bright Stalk Pride."

"Brianna? How do you spell that?" I asked, rummaging around in the bag as I felt my face fall when she said her name. She must have caught sight of more than one of the weapons I was carrying, because she said something about it.

"Why did no one pat her down for weapons?"

"We had a rampaging-"

"A newly turned male got out of control downstairs; I pulled a dominance card on them and made them let me pass. I'll remove all my weapons except a few after I find what I'm looking for. How do you spell your name, Xantra Brianna?"

"I would like for you to explain all of this."

"All right, but it'll take me a few minutes to take off all the weapons, and they won't fit in my bag; can I use this chair?" I asked, pointing to the chair behind me.

"You have that many weapons on you? I only saw two, and there are no bulges, and I don't even smell any metal for guns or knives."

"Thank you for the compliments, but yeah, I have that many weapons. Do you want me to explain before, during, or after I've stripped my weapons?"

"During, but first, why did you pack so much firepower before you came to my club? Did you think we'd kill you?"

"No, but there are people after me who want to. May I have some on me, as long as they are totally in sight?"

"Yes. You are treating me as if I am more powerful than you, and I thank you for that, although it is unnecessary. You should treat me as you would treat me any other lycan."

"Fine; swear to me that anything I say that offends you will not be held against me or my mother or her court at any point in the future, and that if we come to you for aid, and you refuse, this meeting will not be the reason."

"So basically if you treat me like dirt, it can't be held against you?"

"You can hold it against me personally, just not professionally. Swear that to me, and I will treat you like any other lycan; if you don't, I will treat you like the Xantra you are."

"Do you even know what Xantra means?"

"You're stalling."

"I'm thinking."

"Xantra is when there is an alpha female, but the lack of an alpha male; their are candidates for alpha males, hence the strip club. You check out any male lions that come through and see if he is powerful enough. If he is, you probably ask him up here, then see if you like him, then see if he's interested. How accurate is that?"

"How much of that is your studies, and how much did the girls tell you?" Katelin asked snidely.

"I have a lion friend, so be nice."

I had finished untangling the bags and emptying the bag of goodies from the Unlucky Seven onto a coffee table in front of Brianna's desk, and began to take my weapons off. I turned to Katelin though a strap of something.

"Can you let the two males in through the door; one is a weak-ass tiger, and the other is a strong wolfmage. The wolf is seventeen and the tiger is over thirty, but I don't remember how old exactly. Wolf is Wade, tiger is Michael."

Katelin looked at Brianna, who I assume nodded or something because Katelin left.

"Earlier today, my house was burned down. It wasn't an accident. I found seven girls who I saw even earlier today burned alive, and each of them had a note attached to them in some sick way." I dug out Sav's note. "This was broken in her jaw, but here, I think it's for you, but I don't know."

I handed the note to her and her hands were shaking by the time she was done reading it, but I couldn't tell why; fear? Terror? Anger? Something else? All of the above?

"Is this a threat? Or do you think this is funny? Some prank? Get out! Get out, before I kill you!"

"Brianna, I swear I have no idea what this is. You know lie from truth, just like me. I knew these girls; not well, but they lived in the same exact alley I did, and the same living conditions, but they had each other. I had no one for years, no one at all. I stole clothes more than other kids, but almost no food. I wanted to help the kids, and they were burned alive with the rest of my stuff. I think most of them were knocked out, except for one girl; I think they ran out of time to come up with some form of painful way of going before being beat unconscious. She wasn't unconscious before she burned."

"How do you know? How do I know that you weren't involved in this? That you want to know where they all are, to scare or kill them all?"

"I am a Hound, but I lived on the streets. I saw a lot of injuries, and I was like the local kid doctor because of my education. I know what being beat the shit out of you looks like, versus not being touched, and all those girls were burned alive. Six of them were covered in bruises from head to waist; if that didn't kill them, the fire did. One girl was talkative, and was strangled with a bag probably because she wouldn't shut up, and was getting the crap beat out of her. Then she was burned alive. One girl had a bottle shoved up her no-no area, and the sam story. It was awful how I saw them alive and relatively well and standing and talking earlier, and by now, they're probably ashes."

She looked up and started to say something, but stopped and said something else.

"Where'd you get those scars on your hands?"

I smiled sadly, and it didn't even come close to reaching my eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the Master?"

She bent at the knees and crumpled to the floor in a rush of red and gold fabric. I did a quick finish of the bulkiest weapons and picked her up to get her to the only open chair. I don't even know if she was aware of anything but the memories she was almost undoubtedly having. As I carried her, she whimpered and whined like a cat.

The door came open and I felt Katelin's anger.

24

"Katelin, calm down and don't worry. She asked about the scars on my hands; I answered, and it brought back unpleasant enough memories to do this. I did not mean for this to happen. and if I knew she had ever seen him, I would have said something like 'you don't want to know' or 'I don't want to talk about it' or something cryptic. I know most people don't like cryptic, but most people don't like being in shock, and would prefer cryptic to shock."

"Well, where'd you get them?"

"Seriously?"

"You don't know if I've been everywhere she's been."

"I didn't think she'd been to see him, but I was wrong. Maybe you'll recognize the scars; my hands are busy though. Someone lift my shirt...Wait, no. Wait," I put her down and walked to Ms. Bitch-A-Lot and held out my fingers, the only unarmed part of my body that was scarred.

"Recognize these?" I asked bitterly.

"Maybe. Name?"

"No, not if I risk another reaction like that."

"But Brianna tends to pass out more easily than I do."

"You realize you just not only failed to call your superior by her title, but also called her weak? That is a challenge, almost a direct one. It could only be more direct if you had the word 'weak' in that sentence, referring to her. We are going to have to report this, Katie," one of the other lioness said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Sherry."

"I'm Kat, nice to meet you, Sherry."

"Yeah, I know your name is Kat. You're a big animal 'round here, you know that?"

"That's what I've heard?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I eat, sleep, work, repeat. I don't pay much attention to my said fame."

"Yeah, did you know there's another company that is better and you're not a called dog. You're not called a cat either, but you're not a dog. You're a real laughing stock in that department. The place is a lot like where you're working, I've heard, but like I said, you're not a dog."

That part did always bug me a little, but I didn't say that.

"I'll look at it," I told her, and I meant it. I wasn't sure I really wanted to work where Ray was working, and I didn't want to be laughed at behind my back, now that I knew about it. The dog thing also bugged me. "What's it called?"

"Come in my office, and I'll give you a card."

"Okay, but I'm only into guys, though."

She looked disappointed.

"Shame; you'd be fun, but I'll be good because you are The Kat and it is said that you can rip me in two if you chose. I also saw you downstairs earlier; you knocked him out, without laying a finger on him. His pulse is fine, but he is not awake yet."

"He's fine, and new. He'll need rest after his first shift, but he will be a powerful male. Keep him here; say that you want to keep him here for medical reasons and to make sure that he doesn't go berserk again. I'm sure that your Xantara can handle him if he does, otherwise she would not be your Xantara, right?"

"Just because she is Xantara does not mean that she can control the new ones, it just means she is the most powerful among us. How many lions do you know who can dominate the new ones?"

"I don't know; I guess I just figured she'd be able to, I mean I'm teaching my son to dominate other animals. He is dominant enough, but he has no experience."

"Your son, the wolf?"

"Adoptive son, yeah."

"Can the tiger dominate new lycans?"

"I don't know, let's ask." I turned my head and yelled in for Michael.

He came over.

"What's up, little sis?"

"Can you dominate newly turned lycans?"

"Some, but I can't anything like that lion down there."

"Define 'some'?"

"Basically prey.'

"Gotcha. Go back to whatever you were doing...What were you doing?"

"She's waking up."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you later in your office, Sherry, but no dances; only business."

"Can I help?"

"I don't know; can you?"

She smiled.

"That is fair. What are you doing?"

"Helping her through difficult memories, through her worst experience that I accidentally reminded her of. I can almost guarantee you I have worst memories than you, but nothing in life is certain; what is your worst experience in life?"

She shuddered and sat down.

"Do you know of a terrible creature called the Master?"

"You will be of no help here; please, go back to your office."

"Why? Isn't that what memories and experience Xantara Brianna is going through?"

That made me curious. I let my power out a little.

"What are you doing?" Fear was plain in her voice.

"You're some sort of super empath, telepath combo. You are a great needs satisfier, and I'll bet you'd be great in bed, but like I said, I don't do girls. Out, before I hurt you in some way."

"What do you mean?"

"I have powers beyond you, beyond what you have felt, and I may need a lot of them when I help your Xantara recover. Please go willingly, or you will not like the outcome."

"What would the outcome be?"

"I would force things into your head, images, messages, screams, nightmares, and more, until you left."

"Okay. I'm leaving. Good-bye, Kanxa Kat," she said curtsying. One of the lions stared at me; another stared at Sherry; someone walking dropped everything she had and her coffee cup, coffee, and papers had shattered, spilled, and scattered to the ground and no one noticed. Something told me that the title 'Kanxa' wasn't handed out often.

"Mama Kat, you need to hurry; she's asking for you."

"I'm coming," I said, crossing the room in a few short steps. "Wade, you experienced memories like this recently, but she trusts me, a cat, and leader, more than a wolf nobody. Michael, you know more of diplomatics that I do; help me with this, please."

"Well, since you said please."

"It was awful, but I found an anchor. She needs an anchor, something that will show her that she is in this life."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked.

"While he was in that state, his brain wasn't entirely sure if he was a really big two-year-old, or if he was a seventeen-year-old. What was your anchor, Wade?"

"You," he said.

"Okay." I raised my voice. "Is there anyone who was with Xantara Brianna when she was taken by the Master?"

Everyone was silent for a few moments, and they looked at each other, just like earlier downstairs. Someone near the door said something.

"We were all taken; it was how we lost our Sanjay, our lion king. He took the bargain, his life for all of ours."

"Was there anyone she saw a lot who is alive and within reach?"

"Well, there is-"

"No, Sarah. You know she was banished; you know how much our Xantara hates her."

"Look, your Xantara can blame it on me but if she doesn't get out of this within the next," I checked my watch. "Twenty or so minutes, she may have some serious brain problems. Can we get past petty differences?"

"You don't understand-"

"I know lionpride customs and structures, banned and hated is banned and hated for life. However, I would think that we could bend that rule this one time, for your queen's life."

"Will she really die?"

"She'll probably die in about forty minutes; in half an hour, her brain will be mush. Twenty minutes more is risking serious mushiness in the brain. Less than all that now, but your call."

"Not ours."

"Okay; I guess I assumed that since she wasn't here, you hadn't elected one yet. Bring in your second in command."

"Our Teine, our second, was the one was banned. You must speak with our Kolmas, our third."

"I know the positions; you are based on Estonian. I've been to many prides, with kings and queens, and they all have different position bases. The few I have heard with Estonian origin have been varied, but not exact."

"Our Esimene was Estonian."

What an odd thing to say, but it made me think of something; here's to people who say strange things.

"How old is your pride?"

"It is at least a century, and that is not the only way we are rare-"

"Isabella!" one of the other girls whispered harshly, scolding and warning her not to go further.

"No, she must know. If she is helping us, she must know."

"We do not even know if she meant to do this."

"It's okay, you guys. I've gone in helping people with less information, so really, it's okay," I said, trying to stop the argument in the pride.

"Why would you side with me, the one going against you, and not her? You owe neither of us nothing, and to my knowledge, you have not met either of us before today. Why side with me if I am trying to withhold information?" the woman who had scolded the first, very talkative woman, asked me. I think she was trying to be seductive; if I was a guy, I may have been running my hands up and down her. However, I was strictly not into girls, and only guys.

"The information you're so keen on holding onto; will it save my life?"

"I don't know, but why are you answering my question with another question?"

"Well, they do it on Jeopardy all the time, but fair enough. I didn't side with anyone; I wanted to end the argument. As Lincoln said, house divided against itself cannot stand. As you all know, in a pride, that would be dangerous. At a time like this, we need your Kolmas; where is she?"

"In Texas."

"Your Neljas?"

"We have no one past our Kolmas."

"So who the hell is in charge here?" I shouted.

"Xantara Brianna."

"Then I invoke my right as tiger queen. I am in charge now, until she is awake, aware, sane, and not mushy in the brain. Does anyone wish to challenge me?"

The room was silent, and it stayed that way.

"Is there anyone who can be an anchor?" I asked.

"Our old Tiene is our only answer. How long do we have?" one of them said.

I glanced at my watch. "It's been about fifteen minutes."

"Shit," one of them said. She sounded young.

"Mary-Lee!" another scolded.

"Don't! This is a time for swearing, whether you're fifteen or fifty, it doesn't matter. Today is the day for swearing, and more. Everyone, in case anything like this happens, get into teams where you can talk to each other, be each others anchors. This is Wade, and this is Michael. They will help you if you get in trouble, just call them. Right now, they are not candidates for your pride."

"Nor shall they be," said a new woman walking in the door. She felt like the Tienne.

"I assume you're the Tienne," I said, my voice was rougher than I meant it to be.

"I assume you're the tiger who caused this," she said, her voice very haughty and a little offended.

"Look, sugar-pie, I don't have time for niceties, and you don't have to right, from what I hear. Banned? You are here because of an emergency. Go to your queen and be her anchor."

"I am her second; I am in charge here."

"You were banned, and to be banned is to be banned for life, even if you save the queen's life, even if the pride and the leaders want you back, you cannot come back. You are banned and must find a new pride. Help your ex-queen."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Are you asking me, or telling me to?"

"I can make you if you need me to, but you will do it."

"Are you really that powerful?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"No, but you need to go to Brianna."

"Fine, but-"

"No buts, just go before I get tired of you."

She growled and stomped to her ex-Xantara. She held her hand and did what she was told like a good little submissive bitch. I knew she wasn't submissive, just by meeting her, I knew she wasn't even close to submissive, but she had to act submissive if she wanted to survive long enough to leave the club. If I could help it, I would see that she got out relatively unhurt, but once the queen was back, I wouldn't be able to do much anymore.

"The lionesses are all in groups. I told each group to split into two, just in case. Some branched out further, but I told them no less than three to a group. Is that good?" Michael asked.

"Yes, Michael. You did good. Maybe if you get more powerful, they'll choose you as Sanjay."

"I doubt it; I'm not even close to her power. I overheard some of the girls giggling; Wade's power is fascinating, and would make an interesting Sanjay. Too bad he's a wolf, though, but he is definitely something I would do. He is a little young, though. Oh well, a few years more on him, and I'll be comfortable doing him...plus he'll be a rock star in bed, because he's probably pretty good already. Who wants to find out first?"

He rolled his eyes, but had been too busy talking to notice my subtle 'stop talking' motions, and the fact that Wade had walked into the conversation at 'too bad he's a wolf' and listened from there on out.

"Michael, I do not want to sleep with you, and I know she's not my biological mother, but she's still my mom. I'm not sleeping with her either. And why is it a bad thing that I'm a wolf?"

"Girls, Wade. The girls here were talking about you, and being their Sanjay. You didn't hear like the sentence behind that."

"How many girls?"

"Wade, talk about this in like thirty seconds so I can pretend I didn't hear you say that? What's going on with what you were doing?"

"The place is free of booby traps now, magical and physical. Whoever did this really has it out for you, Kat. You need to be careful. Go to the Xantara."

"Shit!"

"Yeah."

I ran to the Xantara and found her awake and talking nonsense, with the Tienne in hysterics. The other lions were coming down on her, saying that she did this on purpose and other things I couldn't hear.

"Lovid! What is going on?" I yelled. They all parted, revealing their queen. "Shit!"

Her hair had turned white and green, and her fingernails, eyes, skin, and the blood that was pouring from her eyes and nails all had a tint of green to them.

"Look at me, I am the green queen, the witch of the west..." Brianna said, but not in her voice exactly. It was in a croaky witch's voice, with a strong hint of masculinity, and only a little bit of the voice I heard from her before.

"Shit!" I said again.

"What is it, Kanxa Kat?"

"She is possessed. This is not your ex-Tienne's doing, or my doing. This is probably Don, but I'm not sure."

'Brianna' reacted at the name.

"Well, Kat, I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out, but then you don't know me. I love torture, and the color green. You could call me Oscar, but that's not my name. Now, ask me who I am."

"No one talk except me," I told the room.

"Aw, Kat, you take away my fun. You may want to have your wolf take away those booby traps again; I put them right back up, for I am more powerful than he is."

I felt inside Brianna's head subtly, measuring his power, but he blocked me out faster than I had time to pull out all the way, but I was mostly out, just the edge of a coat under a door.

"Ah ah ah, Kat. It is not polite to look around peoples' without asking. If you wanted to know how powerful I was, all you had to do was ask."

He tried to pull me in the rest of the way. I was afraid that he might be able to do it, because he was powerful. The question was, am I able to unzip and unbutton the coat that's stuck under his gates fast enough before he pulls me in? Let's see, and I may even get to keep the coat; I really like the coat.

"What are you after, Don?"

"To know that, you would have to know who I am, so ask me, as I said before." Don had a slightly hispanic accent and his voice was much smoother now, as if he were faking earlier. I knew he wasn't, but many people would think he was; when you possess someone and Channel through them, like Don is doing, it takes a few moments for the bodies to realign themselves. I don't know how it happens; it just does. It's magic, not science.

"Fine. Who are you?"

"Thank you, _ko sutil pusa_. I am Don, and I love the color green, otherwise your friend would not be green. I am one of the Master's-"

"Pets."

"_Hindi_, _ko sutil pusa_.-"

"What language are you speaking, and what are you saying?"

"You do not know? I heard you spoke them all. I know you speak Croatian, Estonian-"

"Yeah, I speak a lot, but I don't speak them all, and I don't know of any one person who can. What language?"

"Shall I tell, or make you guess?"

"Does anyone here know the language?"

"Filipino. He's speaking Filipino, and has been calling you his obstinate cat," one of the lionesses said, sounding embarrassed about the last part. She was outside the office, which showed how little I was paying attention.

"Thank you; come with me please. Everyone, downstairs," I said. The girl came to me, going against everyone else. She looked like English might have been second to Filipino, but I couldn't be sure. She curtsied, low and awkward.

"Kanxa."

"Up. What's your name?"

She looked like I had just asked her to marry me.

"Look, I don't even know what 'Kanxa' means, and I hate curtsies, whether I'm doing them, or other people are. Other than the fact that I am more powerful in sheer power, and the others treat you as lower, we are equal. You are any less a person just because you are younger or less powerful than I am. What's your name?"

"Vinaya."

"Let's go before everyone gets impatient and too tense."

She just nodded and followed me. I asked how old she was as we were walking down the stairs; she said she turned fourteen a month ago, why? I told her I was just curious.

One of the lionesses had said that they had all been abducted by the Master; I wonder how long ago that was. I wonder if I could help Vinaya through and the rest of this pride through this trauma. Opening a strip club is not the way to find a male, and this pride was _messed up_, big time. When this was done and over with, if we came out alive, I would try to help them...No, when this was done and over with, _when_ we came out alive, I _will_ help them. No if's, or try's, only when's and will's. Think positive, right?...Right?

Another thought came to my head, in case I had to do some things I didn't want a fourteen-year-old to see or hear from me.

"Vinaya, in case you get into trouble, or he does something to you, is there anyone else here who speaks Filipino?"

She seemed to think about it; her pulse sped up, slowed down, and before she could say anything, I cut her off.

"Don't lie to me, Vinaya, because I can see them, hear them, and smell them better than any lie detector, lycan or machine, except for one; you have to learn from someone, and he is downstairs. Don't lie to me, or anyone on our side of this fight."

She hung her head in resignation. "One other, but she's crazy! You have to believe me, she's off her rocker! She goes on and on about nonsense."

"Is it just that she is a weird girl and talks a lot?"

"Well, maybe, but-"

"How old is she?"

"Is this about age?"

"A little."

She looked sad. I grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes, but I had to move my thumb to prop her chin up.

"I know this type of guy, and he was smart, but I have dealt with this type of guy before. He took over a leader's body, so I can't hurt or kill it, not physically. I may be doing or saying some things, though, that I wouldn't want a fourteen-year-old girl with very little experience in this to see or hear. I understand what you've been through; I went through the same thing, for two-and-a-half years. I couldn't bargain with him, and I didn't cost much to feed, so he could keep me. Cheap, easy, fun, but he got bored of my smart-mouthing him, and he said that if I could get out of the obstacle course, I could leave with Wade. He is a reasonable thing if you've been with him for a long time."

"Yeah, totally."

"How long were you all with him?"

"A year. How old were you?"

"Seventeen."

"Wow. So, that were me, in only a few years, I'd be there."

"I will do everything in my power to keep everyone out of there, you understand me?"

"Yeah. How bad? They did went really hard on the really powerful just to see how much they could take; they went hard on the weak, because they were weak, but they went the least harsh on the people in the middle. Why?"

"To force others to do what they wanted them to do. They had fun, and they had orders followed. You can stay and translate for as long as I say, then you have to go, okay?"

"Okay, Kanxa."

"What does that mean, anyway?"

"It is like calling you a foreign, very powerful, fearsome queen who may have the power to challenge and win against our queen."

"I am not going to challenge your Xantara."

"You already have, and you have already won, since she was incapacitated."

"You have to be fully conscious and aware for it to be a fair fight. Some say you just have to be conscious; I wait until they can count backwards from twenty-nine, just to make sure."

"Twenty-nine? Why not ten?"

"Twenty-nine has more numbers with more syllables, so if they're drunk or not aware of what they're doing, and they miss a number, they have to start over. With me, I require BA tests because I fight fair, no matter what, unless they play dirty. If they play dirty, I put sand in their eyes and kick them while they're down. I play fair until they don't; it's a good policy to have. If you get powerful and dominant enough to branch out and start your own pride, remember that. Also, if you need help, come find me; I'm not hard to find, since everyone knows my name. I'm sure you can follow a trail, or we can talk about this when we're not in hearing distance of Don?"

She smiled. "Yeah."

25

When we finally reached Brianna/Don, we found that Brianna's body was still limp; he hadn't gained control of it yet. I didn't hesitate or stall or dance around the edges this time.

"How powerful are you Don?"

"Beyond your wildest nightmares."

"I doubt that."

'Brianna' studied my face. "I believe you."

"Answer the question before I have to make the youngsters go away; I don't want them to see or hear what I will be doing to persuade you."

"You will _not_ harm our Xantara!" one of the lionesses cried out.

"You heard her; you will not harm our dear Brianna, but that's not what you had in mind, is it, _ko sutil pusa_?"

"Don't worry, I will not physically harm one hair on Brianna's head, and we will make sure that Don doesn't hurt her either."

"Okay," the lioness said.

"Do you all have room here in the club?" I asked, like I had asked three or four times when I first got here.

"We have our offices, and our private dance rooms, and the lounges. The rooms have beds, and so do the lounges. The offices have chairs. Why?" another lioness said.

"You all need to stay here tonight, but I want you all in your groups. I want Michael and Wade to stay here; I want the any other girls who speak Filipino; I want groups who are powerful, not too traumatized, and can handle any type of situation. Around me, weird stuff happens because it's me."

"What kinds of weird stuff?" someone asked.

"_Really_ weird stuff, and not kinky in any way," Michael said.

"Explain."

"This is the type of stuff that I deal with. For all I know, a hydra is going to come down from the sky and eat half the wolf pack across the city, from here. Weird, huh? That's what I do. I deal with the supernatural freaky freaks that the supernatural freaky freaks aren't willing to deal with. I would love cooperation on this, and a little help, but cooperation would be best. If you all want to go hide, fine. I will deal with Don, and squish him out of your queen's body, but you need to do what I ask."

"You are our Kanxa, and acting Tienne and Xantara. We have no choice but to do as we're told. If you told us to jump into the Grand Canyon, we would, so we await your commands, Kanxa."

Great. I left home so that I _wouldn't_ have to face all this, yet here it is. Isn't karma a bitch?

"Alright. Amongst yourselves, discuss the most powerful in mind, magic, force of will, and...stomach. Physical strength and pain tolerance won't matter, and neither will sexual skills. I am going to tie up Don so that I don't exhaust myself."

"Yeah, why was he being such a good little boy?" someone asked.

"I forced the body in place. Rope, chain, wire, duct tape, silver, leather?"

"Let me get them for you."

She just stood there. I looked at her for a moment, and remembered the way she phrased the sentence, the way lions worked, the way the Master may have affected them. _Let me get them for you. _She was asking permission to get them.

"Go ahead. Thank you."

"You are my queen, even if it is temporary; you do not need to thank me."

"I didn't need to eat that candy bar last week, but it was yummy. I'll get you guys some candy bars, if you want."

She thought about that, nodded, then turned walked away to get the stuff.

I wasn't surprised that they had all of them; it was a strip club, and there were acts, plus some people got off on pain, so the silver, chain, and rope would make sense. Duct tape and wire could be for a number of things. I have no idea what the leather would have been for; maybe for the stripping too. I just didn't want to know.

"Thanks; we will all be safer with this stuff."

"I told you; you are my queen, and you do not have to thank me."

"What's your name?"

"Tanya Higgins."

"Tanya, I like to thank people for the things they do for me; I wasn't thanked enough when I was younger, and I felt under-appreciated. That's not the exact wording I would have used a few years ago; I'm not going to use that wording because it is relatively embarrassing to say that my mouth was that dirty about things that stupid at such a young age. Anyway, my point is, why do you not like to be thanked?"

She took a deep breath. "Can you resist thanking me for things until this is all over, and then I'll tell you, I swear."

"Alright, Tanya. What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to be in one of the groups out here, or are you going to be in the safe rooms?"

"None of our groups know how powerful we are."

"Okay. Anyone under the age of fifteen goes in the safe rooms, no arguing."

"Would you make it eighteen if your son wasn't here?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Vinaya came bouncing up to my side.

"You have to go to the safe rooms, kiddo. Sorry."

"You told me you would let me translate."

"No, I didn't, and you know it. Fifteen and under in the safe rooms, along with all but the nine strongest here."

"Okay," she said sadly.

"Go."

She shuffled away; I'm guessing she knew her way around well enough, and that she was a stripper here. I started to tie up Brianna's body. I felt bad, even though I knew it wasn't actually Brianna that I was tying Brianna, but her intruder.

"You know, I take this as a huge offense," Don said, but in Brianna's voice. He didn't quite match her voice though.

"You aren't as powerful as you think you are, are you?"

"I am plenty powerful; I just have not exercise my power in quite-"

I extended my power in his mind again, but I was ready this time. I shaped my power into thin little smoky tendrils, like alfalfa roots in the shape of smoke, and tested his power. This time, he not only let me feel it, but he thrust his power at me. I pushed mine at him, harder because he was trying to break my defenses, my mind, my control, me. In the end, he was trying to break me. I pushed my power at him and dug through his head looking for information about the six other people that we needed. When he figured out what I was doing, a door was slammed shut. Oh well; there are other ways of finding information.

We both battled for each other's control, while trying to win Brianna; Don wanted Brianna because she was her portal here and it would hurt him a lot to lose her, and I wanted her just to get her back and keep her safe.

The fight was a silent fight, and anyone who couldn't sense magic at all would either guess this was a battle of magic, or they would think it was a staring contest, a test of willpower, or a test of dominance. However, even those who don't naturally sense magic should sense this. Those who don't naturally sense magic being any human that is (among the many of us) called the gray human, the boring human, or the Accountant. It is almost a given that every supernatural critter can sense other supernatural critter, but there that unlucky one in every few trillion who can't, and they get teased the most.

There was a study a few years back, testing how many humans were gray, and how many that weren't. About eighty percent of the human population are Accountants. I don't know how accurate that is if you're talking about the actual occupation, but that's not what I'm talking about. That means that about seventy percent of the world can sense magic...I think. I failed math a few times and pissed off every math teacher I ever had, even in the early elementary years. My siblings said that it was true talent, and I now agree.

Don pushed on my mind, and I felt something crack. My beast leaked out, and lashed at everyone, including me. This was the part of my beast that I had struggled so hard to control when I was younger, and was what made me extremely dangerous; I would unexpectedly lash out painfully not only at others, but at myself. It was as if my beast and I were two separate beings, and my beast hated the rest of the world. I spent a lot of energy building up the control and barriers trying to that side of her in, and Don is cracking the barriers, which is all she needs. I split my power, unevenly, pouring it over my barriers like lava. She did not like that one little bit, and ripped and clawed at the barriers. I poured more power on; she didn't want to go, not after all these years of being kept in a sphere, not being able to hunt for herself, but only through others. If she couldn't get out, no one could. She lashed out, and I screamed; everyone did, but I screamed the loudest. One person didn't scream, and that was her. Even the other, tamer beast whined.

When I was younger I began to figure out that I had one physical beast, only one that shifted, but several spirits of them. There were these two that were the boldest, but there were dozens inside me, maybe more. I had about five that I was familiar with; Denise, Liliha, Meria, Tracey, and Didina. I wasn't exactly familiar with them all, but I had felt them clearly. Denise was the one I had to protect myself and others so strongly against; her name itself meant frenzied. Liliha was my angry one, which was what her name meant as well. Me and my tutor named the spirits inside me and I insisted on being literal. Meria was the tiger that was me, and she was my personality; we couldn't find one that meant personality, but my personality could have been re-described broadly into 'rebel', which we could find, so Meria it was. Tracey was the quiet, calm, and calming tiger inside me. She is my patience; we found Grizelda, but I didn't like that, so we found one that meant calm and quiet, which was close enough for me. Didina was one that I have only experienced once, but my tutor knows that I will experience it again, unless I am to become a nun. Didina is my desire, my lust, and she is right that unless I am to become a nun, or the forty-year-old bag lady with eighty cats, getting a few more every year, I will be more and more familiar with Didina.

I willed my four other strongest tigers to help me and they gathered the rest of my tigers to reign in Denise, but we all knew her 'strength.' It was that she didn't know what a limit was, so she couldn't test it and she couldn't push it. She put all of her strength into every move, because she didn't know better. I poured more power onto each crack and tear, and I had totally forgotten about Brianna and Don, and even the rest of the lions. One of my tigers hadn't, Tracey, because she whispered in the back of our head _do not forget about the lions_. Liliha had asked _How could we have forgotten about them?_ Then Tracey responded, laughing with her usual bell-like laughter, _Because we are all doing what we do best. I am organizing, because I take much pleasure in it, and I am good at it. You are threatening and controlling because you enjoy the thrill of it and you are effective; you are good at it. Didina is being good and keeping her paws off the girls because Meria nor Kat are interested in women, which she has become good at, although she unfortunately does not enjoy it. Meria is doing what she has been doing what she has been doing for many years, and although I often envy her, she is great at living up to her namesake, as we all are. That is, however, very important to Kat, that her main tiger live up to their namesake. You have simply been too busy for it to occur to you. I believe that you are Kat's main tiger more often than you let on._

I poured more power onto the cracks of Denise's necessary cage; I kept apologizing to her, but she was accusing me of not meaning it. I spoke out loud to her because I always felt weird speaking in my mind, plus there are always so many of them in there I see them walking around and then they think I'm talking to them. When I'm talking out loud, I can just say a name, then even if I see them, no one will get confused; it was a deal we all worked out a few years ago. But I stopped talking to them in public places after the people with white coats came. I was not happy.

"Denise, I am not lying to you, and to prove it, I'll make you a deal, and it starts with you pulling your claws in and your teeth. No harm will come to me or any of these people, except Don, not by your paw."

She pulled in, painfully, with a final lash of pain for everyone. I yelped, Liliha snarled, lions writhed, but Don screamed. Good. About Don, I mean.

"Kat, are you...?"

"I'm fine, just talking to one of my many inner tiger spirits, and I'm not crazy, unless twenty other people are seeing and hearing the exact same things as I am, I'm not crazy. Denise, you can come out, but not fully control me. I want to know what I'm doing and I want to be able to stop it if I don't want to do it."

Tracey stepped up.

_Kat, are you sure you want to do this?_

_Shut up, Tracey. She's finally treating me equally; I'm being let out of this hell hole._ Denise said acidly. Everyone snarled, including the lions.

_Wow, quite a reaction, Denise. She has treated you fairly, but she had to lock you up when you started tearing up her insides,_ Meria said dryly.

_Well, well, well, I was wondering when our little Kat-wannabe would rear her ugly head. We only have one left; where is the slut? I want to see all the main characters here and see if happy endings really do exist, or will someone ruin the ending for me and tell me, if I ask nicely?_ Denise mocked.

"Denise!" I warned, and that one word made her sit, then curl in a ball. I had never had that effect on her, which tells me that it wasn't me.

"Who's there?" I asked, glad that the fear I was feeling wasn't in my voice.

"Kat? Are you okay?" someone asked again.

"Yeah, it's just Denise, the wild tiger inside me that's been lashing you all and the one you all snarled at; she just curled up into submission. I have never been able to make her do that before."

"You mean that was you? You're that powerful?"

"If someone forces the power out, yeah, but I don't want Denise out. I have five familiar tiger spirits-"

_Kat, are you sure you want to tell strangers about us all? You don't know if you can trust them,_ Meria warned softly.

_Careful, Kat. Meria's right, and you've always had trust issues. Why has that changed?_ Liliha asked.

_Guys, out of the four I ever see, you are two of the three of my most reliable. Why are you telling me against this?_ I asked them.

_Just go with them, Kat. I agree,_ Tracey said.

_Yeah, and you can never trust a group of only girls; there has to be at least a ratio of one guy to every eight girls here. Zero to every two hundred is just too much. _Never_ trust a group of solo girls. If we all agree, you have got to go with us, right?_ Didina said.

_I agreed with you guys when Meria and Liliha said something; two out of my usual three is definitely enough_, I said.

_What about one out of three?_ Didina asked.

_Where were you during math class? Anyway, I would be skeptical, but it would be case-by-case scenario._

_"_Kat? Are you still with us?" one of the girls asked.

"I'm right here, but I suddenly got a huge migraine; maybe Denise brought it on, but she'll have to come out, so ready yourselves. On the count of three. One, three. Come on out and play, Denise, but behave, or I will never let you out again."

_So you might let me out in the future?_

"Maybe, if you're good. Guys, help me keep her under control."

_Ugh, don't bother; believe it, or not, but I do know how to behave myself._

_"_Just a precaution; I like safety."

She laughed. _Didina doesn't care about safety; she actually prefers a little risk. Just letting you know before you let her take control. _I'll_ help you reign _her_ in, and then you may reconsider keeping me locked up forever in this awful cage._

I closed my eyes, knowing what she meant; I could not get pregnant, not in this line of work, and I didn't want to kill myself or the baby since I'm a lycan.

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it, but right now, we have a different issue to deal with. Help me, Denise; use your power to defeat Don, and do not hurt any other lions or tigers."

_What about bears?_ she mocked, from 'The Wizard of Oz.'

_Hey, sex, lust, and risk my way is not an issue or a bridge to be burned when we come to it! It is a perfectly normal thing, and you need to get used to it, because it may come sooner than you think; I really like Ray when you were thirteen, but didn't really realize what I was feeling_, Dedina protested.

"Dedina, Ray is a jackass who has insulted not only the tigers, but the entire lycan species. Leave off him; I'll find us another guy and experience your version, but I want protection, and we're dropping the subject."

_For now_, she sniffed.

I nodded. "For now. Denise, you ready?"

_I was ready to come out when you built the cage; I still can't believe you were able to do it._

"Me either. Girls, keep her power reigned in, but remember; she may not have total control."

I felt Denise's cage break open and saw her beauty. I felt a thank you, then we got to work, like little robots, or workers in a factory. Meria stepped back as my main, and Denise filled me; I felt a rush of frenzy, anger, but most of all, rawness and primality. She was held raw emotion and felt only primal needs and primal emotions, only reflecting the others' emotions of jealousy, anger, and practicality. I never realized just how practical Tracey could be, or how much my main tiger contributed to my personality, because now I felt like an entirely different person. I wondered if the others knew, and they were oddly quiet. Denise was busy, but she hummed with a yes, which made me mad.

The others channeled Denise's power, which was directed by me, so Denise was really only the supplier. Since she was my main, or my Helstu, tiger, she realized that the moment I did, as well. She got _pissed_ and gave more for the others to channel, maybe too much. Maybe I would have cared, but no one told me how much my personality changes with my Helstu, and I was powerful enough to control Denise, anyway...right?

_Kat, be weary of your pride, and the influence of Denise's beast. We did not tell you because we all knew that I would influence you as little as I possibly could, but we all know that it is impossible for you to be uninfluenced by your Helstu, whoever it is. We have discussions while you are in deep sleep, so that even if you dream of us, you will not remember it. We are sorry to have kept it, and we were thinking of trading me out for one of the others soon. Denise, you do not qualify if you keep acting like this; do not cloud her or influence her on purpose. We also need to show you your other tigers, Kat, for you have others besides just us, _Meria told me, still struggling with Denise's power. I felt Denise lighten up; I didn't know Meria had that kind of power. Was it Meria, or was it me who was demanding and scaring people into doing what I wanted?

_It was both of us, Kat. Remember, we are tigers, predators; we can all intimidate_, Meria reassured me, but I still wasn't sure. Oh well; no time to worry about that now; I have a crazy monster thing to fight, and a wild and primal Hustu to keep in check.

I heard a laugh in the distance, and it got louder as I came back to reality.

"You let her out, Kat. Thank you; you will make killing you so much easier and although I do like a challenge, you are too much for me."

"Is that why you are taking me on now?"

"I wanted her to control you so that you will be more wild than usual; I kill very rationally, and beat things that are wild and like the beast I helped let out."

I felt a whiplash of ice cold power that felt too much like a whip for me to take.

"You should not have let me out, Kat," a voice from my throat said. It was deeper than my voice. It was wild and raw and powerful and I knew whose voice it was; it was Denise's. She had found a way to attach her voice to my vocal cords. I felt my other tigers fall away, with sorrow. They didn't say it, but they were more sorry than they could ever apologize for. I felt this, and knew this now; what I didn't know was if they did it willingly or put up a fight. If they did it willingly, it would have been reluctantly, with a lot of argument, but no harm; if there was a fight, then I had to be worried.

Fortunately for the part of me that didn't like it when I worried, I blacked out. I somehow knew that I was still awake when I blacked out though; stranger things have happened to me...I think. We'll see when I wake up, if I wake up.

26

"" I screamed. What the hell?

"What the hell?" I asked, finding that my voice wasn't exactly mine, but it was close enough. I recognized where I was just fine, but I was writhing and twisting on the ground.

"You killed Don; it was a little violent, and bloody and most of us are still puking but Brianna will be okay, we think. I don't know how exactly you did it, but you ripped Don out of Brianna's body and the room was hot, hot like a freaking volcano erupted in here for the entire fight, and it started right after you said something in that weird voice. You were silent for the rest of the fight, then you did a whole bunch of cool shifting stuff and magic and-"

"Hush, Tanya, hush. You, Ms. Heroic, need medical attention. Come with me, get up," an old woman said, chiding Tanya like she was a fifteen-year-old fan girl wooing a celebrity.

"You can't provide the type of medical attention I need. I'm sorry, but-"

"Please, dear, you do not look like a shallow healer, or a marrow woman, and you have cuts and bruises large and deep as my hands and fingers. Come with me; I may not be able to fix your spiritual issues, but I can fix your cuts and bruises. I know you are an excellent healer, which means you may not take well to others' blood, other than family. Do you have any family here?"

"Brother and son," I said.

"Isn't he adopted?" someone said in disgust.

I shot a sting of power in the direction of the voice.

"I gave him my blood when he was a baby. It even enhanced his own healing abilities; he's a marrow man."

"There are three things I would like to point out to you, child; we are all on the same side, so no need to be hostile with your power-"

"No need to be hostile with your voices. My son is my only family. I ran away from the rest, so, whoever said that, shut your trap."

"Fine. Second, we have little time, and my third point is that your son may have already been a marrow man before you gave him your blood. Have you ever considered that?"

"I have, but we will discuss this when lives are not at stake. Stitch me up, doc, and help me find these other women."

"What was that, dear?"

"In Brianna's office, in the messenger-" I cried out in pain; my tigers were either having a war or one was dying. I was betting on both. "Bag. Bring it to me; I need to find these women, and I need a shaman."

"A shaman?" someone asked.

"Yes."

"Where are we going to find a shaman?" someone else asked.

"Right here," a little man said, coming through the doors.

"Winky! I didn't know you were a shaman. I might have asked for your help-" I started to say.

"No you wouldn't have, which is why I didn't tell you. I saw no point in it, for you have few friends and none who would have any need in a shaman. I felt your need, and your tigers' need, and here I am. Now, tell me exactly what happened."

"I don't know."

"Yes you do. Tell me what you remember."

Leave it to Winky to tell me that, but I told him what I knew, then told him what the lions told me. Winky reminded me of a little old librarian who doesn't know where anything is, but manages to find it anyway. We were like friends, sort of. I don't have many friends, and he was second on my six-person phone book in my phone. I put a number by each person's name, to number where they stand. Wade, Winky, Ken, Jordan, Lavern, and Woodrow. I actually put a note in with Lavern and Woodrow's names telling hospitals not to call them. I need their number, but they are the ones I call when I need help on stuff that's above my head, and it's outside my job and illegal. They don't do much legal stuff, so they're safe, but I had to put in fake names after the third hospital called them. I guess that's what happens when you only have a few people in your phone. My list has gotten bigger since the last time a hospital called them, but still.

"Interesting. So why exactly did you ca-"

"!" I screamed. Something hurt like hell and I didn't know what. I think other voices echoed mine. My back was wet, and I wasn't sure which body fluid had done it; sweat or blood, or was it both?

"Everyone, leave this floor. Get as far from this room as possible. I only want three people to stay behind; Wade, Michael, and Dr. Mekow. I would spare you, but family will strengthen me and the spirits, and we need the good doctor," Winky said.

"Winky, you don't understand. One of the spirits, Denise-"

"Her correct name, my dear, is Manxiatt. What about her?"

"How much do you know about my spirits?"

"My dear, the moment I touched you, I saw your cats and was overwhelmed by them, but I knew their names and I saw that your Manxiatt was wild and dangerous but she cannot die."

"Why not?"

"Did you ever wonder why your previous teacher did not just kill her?"

"No."

"Because to kill any of your cat spirits prematurely would be to kill you as well. We need to calm your spirits, and heal Manxiatt, then arrange a deal with her."

"She doesn't do deals. It's her way or the highway. Her way is always the same, and I won't do it."

"Destruction and power over you? Are you sure? We shall see, for last I checked, you are not a psychic, or shaman, only the most powerful lycan of your age I have ever met."

"That's not true, Winky; you've met at least one more. You have," I cried out in pain again again. "Forgotten; I can spot a lie like a hawk can spot a mouse, or better. I am the best lie-catcher I have met, but I do not believe I am the best; I'm not that arrogant."

"Good. Can you come to me, child? Or are you so weak that you are pinned to the spot?"

I left the weak comment alone; it might be true. He wasn't that far away but I had been screaming like I was giving a baby and when I was screaming, the world went away and all that was there was the pain.

"You didn't scream that time. Is the pain lessening or something?" Michael asked. I stopped and looked at him.

"What?"

"Whenever you scream, you whip us all with a white-hot whip of power, making us all scream, unless we protect ourselves. One of these cracked through my shields a little, and I felt it, but you didn't scream in pain. Why?" Michael said. I kept trying to move.

"There is a war between the tiger spirits in her head. One of them took Kat's well-being in mind, just no one else's, and why would she? Our well-being doesn't concern Kats' tiger spirits. But Michael, you need help with your shields. Dr. Mekow will be busy; Kat is well...I am busy. Wade is powerful enough and I'm sure he will be happy to train his magic in the field, if it's alright with his mother, of course. Kat, is it alright with you?"

I was slowly making my way toward Winky. Maybe I'll make it to him sometime within the next sixty minutes.

"Yeah. Michael? Wade? Is it okay with you guys?" I made it! Where are the balloons and the confetti and cake and everything else in a celebration?

"If it'll keep that pain out, hell yes," Michael said.

"Sure," Wade said, trying to be neutral about. He failed; he was excited to try his magic out in the real world, without much supervision.

"Okay, I'm here, Winky, but you all owe me a reward like cake and balloons and a party for all of this or something."

"How about being our queen?" the doctor said.

"What?"

"My good doctor, why don't we wait on such large and important proposals until after such large and important emergencies?" Winky said hastily, saving my undiplomatic ass.

"Of course," Dr. Mekow said coldly and kept working on my cuts and bruises; I hadn't even realized she started. Should I point that out? Nah, it might insult her. For me, silence is usually better than not. I wasn't totally silent though, "Thank you for the offer, Doctor, and thank you for working on my cuts and bruises."

"I am grateful for your thanks, but there is no need for them."

"What is it with you guys and your," I waved my hands around a little, searching for the right word. "Rejections of me saying 'thank you'?"

"It is not you in particular, Kanxa; none of us will accept a thank you without cursing it or, as put it, rejecting it."

I almost asked why when something else popped in my head.

"The-"

Michael's back bowed, and so did everyone else's. Screams erupted from there mouths, and I heard them like a bad choir in great synch and matched pitch from upstairs. I felt nothing, but everyone felt nothing pain. I sat down against a wall and grabbed something very, very solid in each hand. I didn't see what they were but they didn't feel like people and they didn't feel like they would break if I squeezed too hard, which is saying something. I muttered a quick "I'm sorry everyone. Please, hold on to something and see past the pain," counted to ten, squeezed my eyes shut so hard that it hurt, then tore down the barriers that my tiger spirits had built to block their war from me. I don't know how they did it, but I was too pissed to worry about it. I found the barrier began to tear it down with my (mental) bare hands.

The moment a hole was torn through, some of the battle noise quieted a little. It quieted little by little as more and more came down. Even when it was mostly down, the noise wasn't entirely quiet. I got it half-way down, enough to see the entirely indescribable battle. I jumped over the wall.

The war in front of me froze and everything was quiet.


End file.
